If Only I Had Proved You Wrong Instead
by SerendipitousWhim
Summary: In a world where peaceful towns in the Realm of Light are being attacked by various types of demons from the Realm of Darkness, only a chosen few are able to fight this threat. Welcome to Order VII, where Roxas is the most prized 'tool' against this frightening danger. What does fate have in store for him? AkuRoku main and RiSo side. Don't skip prologue. Cover image by yours truly.
1. TEASER

TEASER

**Title:**

If Only I Had Proved You Wrong Instead (may change in the future).

* * *

**Summary:**

In a world where peaceful towns in the Realm of Light are being attacked by various types of demons from the Realm of Darkness, only a chosen few are able to fight this threat.

Welcome to Order VII, where Roxas is the most prized 'tool' against this frightening danger. What does fate have in store for him?

* * *

**Genres:**

Fantasy/Romance.

* * *

**Rating:**

T (and not planned to go above).

* * *

**Couples:**

AkuRoku (Axel x Roxas), RiSo (Riku x Sora), and minor side-pairings.

* * *

**Warnings:**

This is a Shounen-Ai (BL: Boys Love) story. Don't like, don't read; you've been warned.

This is a very, _very_ slow romance because I'm not a big fan of love at first sight but rather the one that builds up and grows over time.

* * *

**Release date:**

08-13-2013 (for an obvious reason).

* * *

**Feedback:**

Reviews would be much appreciated, and constructive criticism would be much welcome.

For those of you who will be reading this story after its completion, please take the time to comment on the chapters you liked the most. Since I won't expect you to review each chapter, this is what I'll settle for.

If you ever decide to drop this story (for whatever reason), please be kind enough to tell me why via a review or a PM.

* * *

**Side note:**

There might be re-uploads of already uploaded chapters. The cause behind this is that I might correct some mistakes and/or change very few things. Unless the changes are major, there won't be an edited version of the author notes to indicate the modifications.

* * *

**Preview:**

_"I'm sure."_

"Then I'll retire as a proud teacher."

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the traitor's brother."

"Whoever said we were friends?"

"From your reaction, it's safe to assume that you still remember me."

"What could have possessed me to expect something productive to come from you?"

"More like intrigued his way into my notice."

"Riku! What the hell do you think you're doing!?"

"I'll take my chances."

_"_… _Are you prepared for a lifetime of regret?__"_

"He is the most intriguing puzzle that I have ever tried to solve."

"Don't _ever_ do something like that again, Roxas."

_"I told you I would be back for him."_

"Are you out of your mind? I can barely stand the guy."

"Roxas is too considerate for his own good."

"If anything were to happen to Sora, I'd die."

"Why should I? I'm actually enjoying the result of your flawed reasoning."

"Wh-what are we g-going to do now, R-Roxas?"

"The name's Axel, A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?"

"Shut up, Riku! You don't understand _anything_!"

"Are you crazy!? You could've died!"

"You must have a death wish to dare touch what's mine."

_"Good luck, Rox!"_

"Don't I earn at least some points for saving your life today?"

_Why do I get the feeling I just sold my soul to the devil?_

"Axel… it's almost time."

"I should've known this possibility would never cross your mind."

"It's only natural; I live for him."

"And what could have possibly given you such an outrageously wrong impression?"

"You totally did that on purpose!"

"At least you can be yourself around me. I don't mind seeing your vulnerabilities…"

"I doubt you can wear a decent hat with that crazy hair of yours."

"I have more plans for our dear Roxas."

"Rather than being set on a pedestal, it's more like you're a bird trapped in a golden cage."

"No, I think you're just being yourself."

"Are you sure you shouldn't be worried about your little _friend_ over there?"

"Although I hate to admit it, I have a feeling that I know you better than I'd like to."

"Aww, don't tell me it was your first kiss."

"Be grateful; if it weren't for me, you'd be dead by now."

"He is the most irritating pest that I have ever wanted to slaughter."


	2. Prologue

Prologue:

A few years before…

A blond kid was tightly holding his younger brother's hand as they hurriedly fled from their once happy home. In the years to come, they would look back at this day and remember it as an important turning point in their lives. But for the time being, this was the moment their peaceful lives crumbled and became a chaotic mess.

The older of the two boys had a few bruises but didn't care; all that mattered to him was getting his brother to safety before _that_ monster found them. He could feel his heart beating fast as a single emotion consumed him:

Fear.

It didn't take long for the brothers to be cornered and while they were fighting for their lives, it was obvious that their opponent was enjoying himself. After all, this was nothing but a game to him.

"Let's see if you can entertain me long enough to earn my mercy," were his words as he amusedly explained the rules of the game. "If you can land a single hit on me, I'll let you live and leave you alone," he promised with a mocking smirk.

The game came to an end… and the two brothers were still alive.

They had survived.

Running back to their house, the two brothers were surrounded by death in a town where corpses littered the streets. When they came to a stop, trying to catch their breaths, they were once again in front of their home.

However…

All they found was a blazing fire which engulfed the collapsing house.

Speechless and lost, the two boys stood amidst the chaos. The small brunet was clenching his big brother's hand as if he would disappear if he were to let go. His small frame was shivering either from fear or cold… Or maybe was it a combination of both?

The overwhelming events were too much for the young boy who could only sob. His older brother, on the other hand, couldn't afford such a luxury: he had to be strong for both of them. After all, it was his responsibility to look after his brother since they only had each other now.

"Wh-what are we g-going to do now, R-Roxas?" The brunet raised his teary eyes to meet his brother's.

Kneeling before the weeping boy, the blond kid used the sleeve of his free hand to gently wipe the tears from the brunet's face. He kindly patted his little brother's head and determinedly spoke. "Don't you worry, Sora, I'll never leave you and will always protect you…"

Such a heartening

**Unfulfilled Promise.**

He hugged his little brother closer and added,

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"… at any cost."


	3. Chapter 1: Eternal Nightmare

A.N.:

Hello, this is my first story ever, but please don't let this deter you from reading. As a pilot to this fiction (and as an apology for the long wait), I decided to give you both the prologue and chapter 1 in one go. If you're not hooked after this first chapter, then I've failed to achieve one of my goals for this project.

Another thing I'd like to mention is that since English isn't my native language, I'm sure I'll probably make mistakes every now and then, so please feel free to tell me about them so that I can correct them *bows respectfully*.

Constructive criticism would be much appreciated because, as I've already mentioned, this is the first time I've _ever_ written a story and would like to improve my skills.

Without further delay, here is the first chapter of If Only I Had Proved You Wrong Instead. Enjoy \ (^ ^) /

.

Disclaimer:

Sorry m(_ _)m, I know I said I'll let you enjoy the chapter but there's still this. I've read so many fanfictions that I know by heart that this part is a tradition (not that it's a necessary one). I always skipped this part in other fictions unless the author wrote it in an interesting way that made it worth reading. I'm not sure whether I can to do that or not, but I'll try since I want this fanfiction to be enjoyed from its very first to its very last word, so here goes nothing.

*Clears throat* Kingdom Hearts doesn't belong to me otherwise I wouldn't be writing fictions, now would I?

Readers: What the!? (ò_ô)

Me: I know… I fail. OTL

* * *

Chapter 1: Eternal Nightmare

Blue eyes shot open as their owner panted heavily; it had become a recurring scene for him to wake up sweating after seeing the exact same dream over and over again. After moving to a sitting position, he ran a hand through his golden locks.

Such a haunting

**Eternal Nightmare.**

It had been a little over seven years since the horrifying events took place. However, the images were still vivid in the blond's mind. He would never forget the voice of _that_ monster, nor would he ever fail to remember his face… especially his eyes.

Moving closer to the bed's edge, the blond carefully put his feet down to meet the cold floor. It was still early but he needed to get ready for his mission. This last thought made him groan in annoyance; he hated missions of this type. He was supposed to wipe out some demons that had appeared in the outskirts of the Keyblade Graveyard. A mission like this always ended up with him fighting legions of demons on his own, which would result in him sustaining unavoidable injuries and his little brother worrying himself to death.

With a sigh, he made his way to the bathroom and took a quick shower; this always refreshed him after reliving that direful day. Standing in front of his closet once he was done, he took out his uniform and put it on: a pair of black pants that were neither tight nor baggy, which allowed him to move freely; a black, long-sleeved T-shirt underneath a short, black, hooded jacket; and black, mid-calf boots with shoelaces on the front and three straps on its outer half side. He tucked his pants inside the boots like usual and put his black gloves in one of his pockets.

Looking himself in the mirror, he ran his hand through his hair a few times and let it take its usual natural style of spiking up to the right side. When he deemed himself ready, he left his room and started toward the lunchroom to have his breakfast before heading out. But on his way there, he was stopped by a voice.

"Roxas!"

The blond turned to look at the owner of the familiar voice: a boy with spiky, brown hair that went every which way and bright blue eyes that almost matched his own. The brunet advancing toward him was wearing long, red shorts; yellow shoes; and a white, short-sleeved, zipper-less, hooded sweatshirt.

"Sora, what are you doing up this early?"

The brunet grinned cheerfully. "I came to see you off like usual of course."

Roxas sighed. "Seriously, Sora, I've been working for the Order for about seven years now; you don't have to see me off each time I go on a mission."

The small boy's bright smile faltered. "B-but…" He looked down dejectedly.

Unbeknownst to Roxas, the reason Sora had always seen him off was his fear that his brother might not return from his mission one day. Ever since the day they lost their parents, Roxas had become his only family, and Sora was afraid of losing him. Thus, each time his big brother had a mission, Sora would bid him goodbye and earnestly pray for his safe return; it was the only thing he could do, which sometimes made him feel helpless.

Seeing his brother's troubled expression, Roxas sighed in defeat. "It's okay, Sor; it's not like I'm telling you not to do it. It's just that I don't want you to go out of your way for it."

At hearing this, Sora's bright smile returned. "Don't worry, Rox, it's nothing of the sort. I _want_ to be able to see you off when you leave and welcome you back when you return."

Roxas smiled. "All right then."

Unbeknownst to Sora, being sent off and greeted back by him were very important to Roxas: it reminded him that he needed to come back alive when he left, and made his endeavor worth its while when he returned. Ever since the day they lost their parents, Sora had become his top priority and Roxas did his best for him. Thus, each time he had a mission, Roxas would make sure not to die since he had someone to come back to; it was the only thing he could do, which always made him feel restless.

The two brothers left the dormitories and headed to the cafeteria in the main building. The big room was empty since it was still very early. Before choosing a table, they went to the counter where they were greeted by a smiling woman with maroon-colored eyes and long, roughly waist-length, brownish black hair. Her bangs were parted to the right and she had a long strand of hair on the right side of her head. She was wearing a casual white tank top, exposing her midriff, and black shorts as well as suspenders.

"Good morning, Tifa," Sora greeted cheerfully.

"Good morning, Sora," Tifa giggled and turned to the blond. "Good morning, Roxas."

"'Morning, Tifa," said boy answered, sitting down on one of the many empty stools.

Even though she was a Colonel here at Order VII, Tifa gladly took responsibility of the kitchen since she loved cooking and was very good at it. Some of the Order's members fondly blamed her heavenly food for gaining weight.

"You look kind of spaced out, Roxas," Tifa noted. "A bothersome mission?" she asked as she leaned on the counter and eyed the blond.

"Yeah…" he answered quietly, not meeting her eyes.

Tifa smiled understandingly and pushed herself off the counter; as a higher-up, it was no secret to her that the position Roxas held within the Order was a tough one.

Order VII was where humans who aimed to protect the inhabitants of the Realm of Light from the demons of the Realm of Darkness gathered. It was established some time after the Keyblade War had ended and the demons' attacks became difficult to ignore. Their headquarters were in Hollow Bastion, which was once known as Radiant Garden before a devastating demons attack left it in ruins. The headquarters, formerly called The Citadel, had to be rebuilt along with the whole city and was named The Citadel That Once Was. However, despite the assiduous efforts, it was impossible to restore the ex-metropolis to its previous glory. Thus, Order VII made it imperative to prevent the same thing from happening to other towns in the Realm.

"Ah, that's right!" Tifa suddenly clapped her hands, making Roxas jump in surprise; Sora was already in his own world, choosing what to order for breakfast. "The Director asked me to tell you to go to his office before you go."

Roxas frowned slightly. "What for?"

Tifa shrugged. "Beats me. He didn't say that much."

Roxas sighed in annoyance; he really didn't like the Director. Maybe it had to do with the fact that the man was working him almost to death—literally—without worrying about his safety.

When Roxas landed the position of Ace four years ago, he was well-aware of the risks it involved. However, it also came with some useful privileges. At first, Roxas hadn't planned on participating in the test to become the Ace; he had only done so because the Director practically forced him to: the man knew very well how to make use of the blond's weakness.

Roxas looked at Sora who was happily chatting with Tifa and discussing his choice of breakfast as if it were the world's most important topic. He smiled fondly at his young brother's carefreeness and would continue to do everything possible to keep that innocent smile on Sora's face. For this reason, all those past years, Roxas had tried to keep his cheerful brother blissfully oblivious to any hardships he was facing; he refused to let his brother bear any burdens because he knew it would drain his liveliness.

"So, Rox, what are you going to have for breakfast?"

Sora's question snapped Roxas out of his thoughts. He looked at his young brother with slight confusion before looking at Tifa who was awaiting his order. "Ummm… I'll have the usual," he answered automatically.

Tifa nodded and went inside to prepare both orders.

"Where's the fun in that?" Sora pouted. "You should try something new from time to time."

"No thanks, I'd like to stick to my routine," Roxas said as he poured himself a glass of water.

It was true. Roxas hated changes and preferred the reassuring monotony. He had it all planned out: he would work for the Order for the remaining three years he had left; continue saving what he could from his pay every month; and leave as soon as he turned twenty, taking Sora with him, and start a new peaceful life elsewhere.

When Roxas joined Order VII, he had to take an entrance test after which he signed a contract for ten years. Usually, a newcomer would start off as a Gofer, which was the lowest rank in the Order and consisted of running errands, cleaning, and going on very simple missions that didn't involve any fighting. However, Gofers had no obligations and could leave the Order whenever they pleased. This was why the Director had decided to let Roxas skip this rank and start off as a Follower, which was the regular rank and consisted of carrying out normal missions in groups under the command of a higher-up.

After few minutes of waiting, the breakfast was finally ready.

"All right! Here are your orders." Tifa came out, carrying a tray in each hand and headed toward the table the brothers had settled in after ordering. How she was able to keep the trays perfectly balanced was beyond Roxas. "One cup of fresh orange juice, one small pancake, a whole-wheat toast with honey, and a bowl of whole-grain cereals with milk." She put the first tray in front of Roxas, who uttered his thanks. "One cup of milk, three chocolate muffins, two large pancakes, and one waffle with syrup." She placed the second tray in front of Sora, who thanked her hastily and immediately made to dig in. For a person so small, he sure could eat.

Roxas looked at his brother incredulously. "Are you seriously gonna eat all that?" He pointed at the brunet's overloaded tray.

"No, I'm going to stare at it until it rots. Of course I'm going to eat it!" Sora mocked as he took a large bite of one of the muffins.

"Isn't it a little bit too much, though?" Roxas took the spoon and placed his bowl of cereals in front of him.

"Didn't you hear the saying 'breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dine like a pauper'? That's exactly what I'm doing! I need to start the day with a big breakfast," Sora said matter-of-factly before taking a gulp of his milk.

"Well, I'm sure a bunch of sugary food doesn't qualify as a 'big breakfast' but rather as an unhealthy one," Roxas countered.

"Hey! I have milk too. Milk is healthy," the brunet argued with a pout.

"It's not enough. You need a balanced breakfast if you want to make it until lunch," Roxas advised.

"Like you're one to talk!" Sora protested, eyeing his brother's breakfast in disgust. "That can't be very tasty," he continued, scrunching his nose.

"At least it's healthy. Besides, it's not as bad as you think it is," Roxas defended and started eating.

"Yeah right! I'll never fall for it again after that time you tricked me into trying one of your meals from hell." The small brunet shuddered at the memory.

Roxas sighed in defeat. "I'm amazed by your ability to make up something and actually believe it. If I remember correctly, _you_ were the one who practically _begged me_ to let you try my 'meal from hell.'"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't, Sor. Sure you don't," Roxas teased with a smirk.

The two boys continued eating their breakfast, whereas Tifa went inside to clean the kitchen.

After a few silent minutes, Sora spoke. "Sooo…" he trailed off as he munched his second pancake.

"Hmmm?" Roxas looked at the brunet curiously.

"How long is this mission going to last?" Sora asked with a hint of anxiousness.

"I'm not sure either; the Director didn't give me any details. Maybe that's why he wants me to go to his office before I go," Roxas pondered.

"That's unusual." Sora frowned. "What's so special about this mission?"

"I have no idea." Roxas paused for a moment. "I thought it was a regular 'Wipe out the demons and RTH' but now that I think about it…" He furrowed his eyebrows in thought.

"I have a bad feeling about this," the brunet looked at his brother worriedly.

"Don't worry, Sor, you know I can take care of myself," Roxas reassured.

"I know, it's just…" Sora paused then lowered his head and clutched his hands. "Your missions have become more difficult lately and the demons' numbers are increasing."

"It's nothing I can't handle," Roxas reassured again, gently putting a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"I don't understand why the Director makes you go on those missions alone. Even though you're the Ace, you're still human." Sora's shoulder was shaking under his brother's hand and he let out a deep sigh. "Every time you come back injured, I get really scared," he raised his head and met Roxas's gaze with sad eyes that made the blond's heart clench.

"I'll be careful, Sora. Besides, I think that since the Keyblade is the most useful weapon against demons, it's only natural that I get to handle the difficult missions," Roxas explained.

"But… I'm a Keyblade wielder too so why—"

"Sora," Roxas scolded calmly, "we've been through this already and I hope you still remember our agreement."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

_"Why can't I join the Order too?"_

_"Because it's dangerous and you're still young."_

_"But you were even younger when you joined, Rox."_

_"That was different."_

_"How so?"_

_"I didn't have a choice."_

_"And I choose to join."_

_"Stop being stubborn, Sora!"_

_"Please, please say yes. I promise not to be reckless."_

_"…"_

_"Please?"_

_"*Sigh* Fine."_

_"YES!"_

_"On one condition though. After you join the Order, you are never to…"_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sora was about to retort but decided against it and nodded instead; after all, he had agreed to the condition his older brother had lain for letting him join Order VII.

"Good." Roxas nodded in satisfaction.

After finishing their breakfast, the two brothers thanked Tifa for the delicious meals and exited the cafeteria. They made their way through the hallways and headed to the Director's office. When they reached their destination, Sora waited outside while Roxas went in.

Roxas closed the door after entering and approached the desk. The Director was sitting in his chair as usual while reading through some papers scattered on his desk. His Right-hand man was standing next to the chair and they seemed to be discussing something but stopped when the blond was close enough to be within earshot.

Despite having whitish hair that might have made him seem old, the Director was rather young. His hair was long with two bangs framing his face and he had brown eyes. The white coat he wore kept the outfit underneath it hidden except for the purple ascot around his neck.

The man standing next to him had blue eyes and shoulder-length brown hair in a layered cut and bangs that swept to the left side of his face. His most notable feature though was the scar that ran diagonally across the bridge of his nose. His outfit consisted of black pants with vertical zippers on each side; a white undershirt; black shoes; and a short, black jacket.

The standing brunet looked at Roxas with what could only be described as distress and then looked back at the Director. "Xehanort, sir, would you please reconsider?" His voice held a hint of desperation.

"I have taken this decision and that is final, Leon," the Director spoke with a sense of finality.

The first thing Roxas noticed was the look of disapproval on Leon's face. _This can only mean bad news_.

While the Director didn't seem to care about Roxas's safety, Leon was different; he stood up for the blond on several occasions and voiced his discontent with the way the young Keyblader was being treated. Even though in the end the Director always did as he pleased, it still made Roxas happy to have someone take his side.

"You can leave now," the Director addressed Leon as he put his elbows on the desk and rested his chin on the back of his hand.

Leon moved away reluctantly and headed toward the door. When he passed Roxas, the blond heard him whisper something before he left the office as ordered.

_"Sorry."_

Roxas wasn't sure what Leon had meant, nor did he know why the brunet was apologizing; however, one thing was for sure: this was no ordinary mission.

"Ah, Roxas," the Director said as he beckoned said boy forward.

Still puzzled by Leon's words, Roxas made his way to the desk. When he stopped, the Director looked up at him and smiled.

That smile made Roxas's gut wrench. _This can't be good._

The Director proceeded with explaining the matter at hand. "Your mission today is to wipe out the demons that appeared in the Keyblade Graveyard. I want you to give your best performance and by this I mean…" He held one finger out, "you must finish _all_ of them off…" He added a second finger, "You mustn't take _much_ time in doing so…" Then a third finger, "You must use your _regular_ Keyblade…" He smirked, "And most importantly…" He added a fourth finger, "You must remain _unharmed_."

Roxas wasn't sure what to think of all this. How was he supposed to comply with all this?

_Performance, he said._ _What am I, a monkey in a zoo? No, a clown in a circus is more like it._

Roxas remained silent for a moment before forcing himself to address the Director with all the respect he could muster. "With all due respect, sir, I'm afraid the conditions you've mentioned are not—"

"I'm sure you can manage," the Director leaned back in his seat, smiling; it was a sinister smile that made it clear he was daring the blond to protest again. "Before I forget." He opened one of his desk's drawers and took out what looked like a wrist-watch that had a silver cover on its top. "Here's your rank insignia. It has been repaired after the damage it took during your last mission." He handed Roxas the item. "And an enhancement has also been added," he informed vaguely.

Order VII had a hierarchy based on ranks. The highest position was the Director, who was responsible for the whole Order. The next rank was the Right-hand man (or woman), who was the Director's most helpful assistant. They had the letters K and J (or Q) as their respective rank insignias. The rest of the members were divided between: three high ranks, three low ones, a special position, and a unique one. The high ranks had a diamond symbol as their insignia and the more diamonds the insignia held, the higher the rank was. Thus, the General had three diamonds, the Colonel had two, and the Captain only had one. The low ranks also followed the same rule concerning the number of symbols. These ranks were the Savants, which grouped the Order's scientists and engineers, with three clubs as their insignia; the Followers, whose insignia was two clubs; and the Gofers, who had a single club for insignia. The special position was the Priest and was assigned to those who excelled in healing; their insignia was a heart symbol. The unique position was the Ace, which was only held by Order VII's most prized element; a position envied by many who were kept in the dark about the downsides of this rank: the truth was that the Ace got the most dangerous missions and was worked extremely hard.

Roxas took his watch and stared at his rank insignia; a spade symbol with a beautiful design whose base resembled the letter 'A' was engraved on the silver cover. This made him the Ace of Spades—the Death Card.

The cover of the wrist-watch was considered as some sort of badge. Since the watches were individually customized, everyone had the liberty to choose their personal style. Roxas's watch was more like a black and white checkered leather wrist-band and had two straps as its fastening mechanism.

After wearing his watch on his left wrist like usual, Roxas looked at the sitting man expressionlessly. "When do I leave?"

"Right away," the Director answered promptly then returned to reading a red file that had been on his desk, thus signaling the end of the conversation.

"Yes, sir." Roxas sighed under his breath then made his way to the door and exited.

Outside the office, Sora was leaning on the wall, patiently waiting. The moment he saw his older brother come out, he pushed himself from the wall and looked at the blond expectantly. "So, how was it?" he asked anxiously.

"Don't worry, Sor, everything's fine," Roxas falsely reassured and ruffled his brother's hair.

Sora tilted his head. "Then why did he call you?"

"Ah…" Roxas waved his left wrist in front of the brunet. "He wanted to hand me my insignia," he answered delusively. _Well, that wasn't a complete lie._

Remembrance dawned on Sora who nodded his head, believing the misleading words.

Roxas breathed freely; he simply didn't want his brother to worry more than he already was. _It's a good thing my insignia broke last time._

"Good," Sora heaved a sigh of relief. "I was worried he would send you to your doom or something." He laughed nervously.

Roxas frowned. _Well… that's one way to put it. _He exhaled, looking at his brother._ Sora always has this habit of saying things which are very close to reality without realizing it._

Making their way toward the main entrance, the two brothers saw a few other members heading to the lunchroom. When they got close to the exit, a tall, blond young man with spiky hair that defied gravity and swept to the right side came their way. He was wearing a navy-blue, zip-up, high-collar jacket which wasn't completely zipped, thus exposing a shirt with the same color underneath it. His pants were also navy-blue and only his shoes were black.

"Good morning, Roxas. Good morning, Sora," the young man greeted coolly with a faint nod for each of the brothers.

"Good morning, Cloud," Sora greeted cheerfully.

Cloud chuckled. "As lively as ever I see."

"'Morning, Cloud. I see you're wearing your uniform. You have a mission?" Roxas asked.

Cloud sighed. "Yeah… I'm scheduled to leave in two hours; however, I need to choose the members I'll be taking with me."

"Being a General sure is tough," Sora commented. "You become in charge of your team members, which must be a burden."

The taller blond's shoulders dropped slightly. "It really _is_ a big responsibility."

"We saw Quistis earlier and she was wearing her grey uniform; is she going with you?" Sora questioned with curious eyes.

Cloud shook his head. "No, this mission doesn't require the assistance of a Captain."

Here at Order VII, everyone's ranks were distinguished not only by their insignia but by their uniform color as well. While they had the liberty of choosing or designing the garments they wore as uniforms, the color code had to be respected. The only exceptions were the Director and his Right-hand man (who didn't have a specific uniform color) as well as the Savants who wore lab coats (in the case of scientists) or overalls (in the case of engineers). For the other members, the uniforms were only worn on missions outside the headquarters or during guarding duties; otherwise, everyone wore casual clothes.

Noticing the younger blond's attire, Cloud tilted his head to the side. "What about you, Roxas? Going on a mission too?"

Roxas internally scoffed. _More like a show with me as its main entertainment. _"Yeah…" he answered unenthusiastically.

"You seem down," Cloud noted with a faint frown on his face.

"It's nothing," Roxas claimed, starting to feel uncomfortable under the taller blond's skeptical look. "I should get going," he said, trying to escape Cloud's stare.

Cloud studied the shorter blond before nodding slowly. "All right, be careful."

Roxas smiled faintly. "Thanks, you too."

With that, Cloud continued his way to the assembly room while the two brothers headed to the main door. After exiting the headquarters, they made their way to the parking lot as Roxas searched for his keys. One of the advantages of holding the position of Ace was having a personal car which they would choose by themselves; it was only natural though since the Order's Ace worked alone.

Since Roxas was too young to drive, Leon volunteered for the task until the blond turned sixteen. When he became old enough, Roxas was taught how to drive with Leon as his mentor; he turned out to be one of the best drivers the brunet had ever known. After obtaining his driving license, the eager blond was allowed to choose his own car.

Roxas really liked his vehicle, which he preferred to refer to as 'Car-Bike' since it was a cross between the two. It was black and red with two tandem seats inside. The two front wheels were positioned considerably apart, whereas the back two were grouped together. When he first saw the Car-Bike about a year ago, Roxas thought it was the coolest thing he had ever seen. He even found it funny that its name, which was P**rox**ima, contained his nickname.

With a slow motion, the reluctant blond unlocked his Car-Bike then turned to his brother with a half-smile. "Well… wish me luck." _Although a miracle is what I need._

Sora grinned widely. "Good luck, Rox!"

Smiling back half-heartedly, Roxas got in the car and revved the engine. Glancing at his young brother one last time, he closed the door and drove away.

Sora couldn't take his eyes off the disappearing form of the vehicle, nor could he shake off the feeling of uneasiness that kept nagging at him. "Please be safe," he whispered softly.

* * *

The drive to the Keyblade Graveyard was a tiring one that had lasted for almost four hours. The trip would have taken a lot longer if it weren't for the Car-Bike being equipped with an enhanced engine developed by the Order's engineers.

Upon arriving, Roxas parked his vehicle at a safe distance from his destination and continued on foot. Reaching the deserted land, he advanced carefully and hid behind a boulder, mentally assessing the situation. The number of demons was larger than usual and Roxas started preparing a battle plan in his head. The majority of the demons were of the Heartless type: black creatures with yellow eyes and varying shapes and sizes. There were also a number of thin light-grey creatures known as Dusks along with a few Unversed, which were weird creatures with red eyes. It seemed he would have to fight all types of demons at once.

Roxas rolled his eyes._ Just great, the whole animals of the __**damn**__ circus have assembled for the clown's big spectacle._

Scanning the area a second time, Roxas recalled the instructions he had been given. The first and third conditions weren't difficult to achieve, but combined with the other two, the whole mission became very challenging. If he wanted to avoid any injuries, he would need to stay at a safe distance from his enemies after each attack; to finish in record time, he would have to take out as many enemies as possible with each swing. Furthermore, a surprise attack would give him a head start.

Roxas took out his gloves and put them on. Closing his eyes, he ran the plan in his head over and over again. He could feel his heart pounding painfully in his chest and took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself.

He _would_ emerge victorious and meet all the terms, thus successfully completing his mission.

He _had_ to.

Despite being an excellent fighter, Roxas always felt a little nervous before a combat; the possibility of something going wrong was always there. However, this time things were far more ominous and his confidence was slowly being consumed by doubt. His hands were shaking as a familiar, buried feeling resurfaced and engulfed him. It was a feeling that reminded him of that dreadful day seven years ago—an emotion he hated with passion:

Fear.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

_"Good luck, Rox!"_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sora's cheering words rang loudly in Roxas's ears and his encouraging smile flashed brightly in his mind. After a few moments, he let out one final deep breath and opened his eyes which now held nothing but an unwavering determination. His hands were no longer shaking and the air around him held not a trace of fear.

This was the secret behind him successfully completing all of his missions so far.  
It was simple, really: Sora was patiently waiting for him, and Roxas would definitely come back for him.

Leaving his hideout, Roxas summoned his trusted Keyblade: the Oathkeeper. His weapon resembled a giant sword-like skeleton key. It had a light grey color with a tint of yellow and blue at the teeth part. Its cross-guard was two angel wings which connected to the pommel, and its Keychain token was a star-shaped charm.

Roxas stealthily approached the closest group of demons and dealt the first blow: a forward thrust that wiped out a decent amount of Heartless. The preemptive attack drew the demons' attention to him and they immediately charged at him. Judging by the distance and the speed of the charging demons, Roxas estimated he had time for a three-hit attack, which would allow him to kill a few more Heartless. Keeping his battle plan in mind, he jumped backward the moment he dealt the last hit to maintain the safe distance separating him from the enemy. He briefly smirked in triumph as this move allowed him to dodge some hits unintentionally.

The blond quickly rushed toward a secluded group of Unversed and swung his Keyblade repeatedly before jumping behind the demons to avoid their attacks. Taking advantage of their disorientation, he launched a few sideways swings that managed to annihilate the majority of the Unversed. Not having enough time to finish all of them off, he had to roll to the side as a number of Dusks tried to attack him. He broke into a run to restore the safe distance he was supposed to keep then jumped in a midair wheel-like spinning slash aimed to eliminate the few flying demons. Landing on his feet, he resumed his fight and vigorously stuck to his plan, successfully reducing the number of enemies despite a few close calls every now and then.

The battle was progressing rather smoothly in Roxas's favor when suddenly he felt a strong tremor that made him lose his balance and sent him to the ground. Looking over his shoulder, he saw a huge Heartless use a jumping attack to create some sort of earthquakes. Cursing under his breath, he barely managed to dodge the attacks aimed at him by the nearby demons; the unexpected attack had effectively broken the steady rhythm he had set up.

Struggling to turn the tables, Roxas rolled to the side then made a mad dash in the direction of the Heartless that had almost cost him dearly. Before he could reach his target though, he saw it prepare to jump again. Without thinking, Roxas's reflexes took over and he threw his Keyblade in a spinning boomerang-like attack. His quick reaction prevented the giant Heartless from completing its attack and made it stumble. Seizing this opportunity, he finished his target off along with some other Dusks that happened to be around.

Panting and sweating, Roxas scanned the battlefield to reassess the situation; there weren't many Heartless left and all the Unversed and Dusks had been disposed of. He could feel himself growing tired: his speed had dropped considerably and his swings had lost a lot of their strength. It was when he reached his limit that he usually brought his last resort into play in an all-or-nothing final attack. Clutching the hilt of his Keyblade, he took a deep breath and made his way toward the remaining Heartless. Gathering the stamina he had left, he rapidly darted around the field with his weapon enveloped in Light, eliminating demons in his wake.

With this final attack, the fierce struggle came to an end. How much time had he been fighting? Roxas had no idea. He only hoped it wasn't long; the Director hadn't given him a time limit, which left him on edge.

Panting heavily, Roxas stood up and looked around; there wasn't a single demon in sight: he had managed to annihilate them all using Oathkeeper. Next, he frantically checked himself for injuries but found none: the demons hadn't managed to land a single hit on him.

Releasing a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding, Roxas wiped his forehead then started dusting his clothes when he heard clapping. Startled, he turned around; behind him stood a tall, hooded figure wearing a long black coat.

"Roxas, all right. Fight fight fight." The figure stopped clapping then started walking toward the exhausted blond. Judging by the voice, it was a man.

Roxas eyed the figure cautiously. "How do you know my name?"

The question received no answer as the figure stopped in front of the blond. "That was indeed quite the splendid performance! As expected of one holding Order VII's Ace position."

Despite the close distance, Roxas couldn't make out the figure's features because they were hidden by the hood. All he could see was a mouth curled up in an annoying, smug smile that he wanted nothing more than to wipe out.

"Who are you?" Roxas asked, taking a fighting stance and keeping a close eye on his target.

"Whoa, easy there!" The man raised his hands in a defensive gesture. "I'm not here to fight. I'm the one who was sent to evaluate you." Putting a hand on his hip, he rested his weight on one leg. Tilting his head to the side, he smirked at the blond. "Congratulations! You've passed the test."

Roxas simply stared at the cloaked man in incomprehension.

"Talk about blank with a capital 'B.'" The hooded man shook his head in disbelief.

"What are you talking about?" Roxas demanded with an edge to his voice.

"Oh," the mysterious figure said in realization, "he must've not told you anything."

"Tell me what!?" Roxas lost his calm; he felt left out and he hated it.

The unknown man shook his head. "It's not my place to answer; you should ask your Director. Now, we need to go," he replied coolly as he motioned for the younger boy to follow him.

"Go? Where?" Roxas narrowed his eyes warily.

The corners of the tall figure's mouth quirked upward.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"To Organization XIII."

* * *

A.N. (Yup, yet another author notes):

Soooo, that was chapter 1; I hope you liked it. I was going to make this pilot chapter a loooot longer but changed my mind at the last second because I found the point I stopped at suitable. I have to admit I'm pretty pleased with this chapter and I hope this first chapter has succeeded in captivating you; otherwise, I'd be discouraged to continue *sad eyes*.

I'm telling you beforehand so that you'd get used to it: the points before the final line are the only alternative I could come up with to replace blank lines (which we are unable to use on FFnet for a reason that's beyond me). It's my choice to format my story like this.

I was a little hesitant when writing the fighting scene since I've never written one before. I wasn't confident I could pull it off, but somehow, the moment I started writing it, it felt like the scene was writing itself; it came to me so easily that I was surprised it ended up being that long (at first, I thought it wouldn't be longer than half a page or something).

On a side note, Roxas's reaction when he first saw the Car-Bike was exactly my reaction (and obviously, I don't own the Proxima). I was hesitating between giving him a car or a bike and to tell you the truth, I started thinking about creating a cross between the two. At first, I was going to give him a car so I started looking for a cool one. This research resulted in my stumbling upon the first Car-Bike I've ever seen (which I can't remember now). However, this Car-Bike wasn't very pretty, but it raised my spirits to know that my idea of having a car and a bike in one vehicle wasn't such an absurd one. Anyway, by doing a research on Car-Bikes, I found a picture of the Proxima (which I think doesn't actually exist but is merely a concept) and was like: "Damn! That's soooo cooool!" It was really the coolest vehicle I've ever seen. Feel free to google this vehicle to see it.

Just for the record, RTH stands for: Return To Headquarters.

The rest of the chapters should also be around 13 pages each (and no less than 5,000 words).

If you have time and would like to know me better, drop by my profile (n_n)

And now for the reviews beggin—I mean request part. I'll try to make this part interesting too. Hmmm… let's see… how should I proceed about this?

*Thinks deeply*

Hmph… I'm not going to beg for reviews because it goes against my principles; I have my pride after all.

*Contemplates* Then again, if I have no feedback, I'll never know how well-received my story was. If so, I won't be able to improve it or correct the mistakes.

*Ponders for a few moments* If I remember correctly, I also use reviews as an indicator of a story's quality and popularity before deciding to read it (even though it sometimes proves to be deceitful, I can't help it).

*Freezes as realization dawns then goes on knees and claps hands* Please, please review. I'm begging you. My story needs your reviews to go on. Pleeeaaaase… *Wails like there is no tomorrow*.

Readers: Talk about pride! (¬_¬)

Me: What? Why are you looking at me like that? (ô_ô)


	4. Chapter 2: Unhealed Wound

O.A.N. (Opening Author Notes):

Yup, this is how I'll refer to this part from now on (do you see the anime reference *wink wink*? *Sigh* I'm a geek, I know).

Sooooo, this is chapter 2. I think it only took me about a little over a week to write it; however, I didn't post it right away because I like being ahead in my writing.

I must admit it was extremely disheartening for me to receive only one review (to which I'm very grateful) for the previous chapter. Hell, even the number of views was devastatingly low *sniff sniff*. I hope this doesn't mean my story isn't all that good. I think I'll keep testing the waters for a little longer before deciding on my next course of action. I've also noticed some readers skip the prologue. Don't do that, people (ò_ó)! The prologue is essential to the story.

.

Disclaimer:

Since I failed epically in the previous disclaimer, I decided to use my secret weapon…

*Drum rolls*

TADA! I introduce you to my staff—

Roxas: Well, technically we're not _your_ staff.

Me: What? Why not? Aren't you working for me?

Roxas: That may be true but—

Me: Then you're mine!

Roxas: What are you, stupid? You're doing the exact opposite of what you're supposed to do in this part.

Me: *Pouts* Am not.

Roxas: *Glares* I am _so _not playing this childish game with you. Start acting your age!

Me: How cruel! *Sniff* How could you *sniff* stamp on the pure heart *sniff* of an innocent maiden *sniff*?

Roxas: *Rolls eyes* Whatever.

*Looks at readers* Anyway, KH is property of Square Enix and Disney.

Me: *Sniff* What about me?

Roxas: *Points at a nearby weeping bundle* She doesn't own anything besides the plot.

Me: *Wails* NOOOOOOO! WHYYYY? Why did you have to rub it in my face?

Roxas: *Sighs* Please don't mind the crazy lunatic and enjoy your read.

* * *

Chapter 2: Unhealed Wound

"To Organization XIII."

"WHAT!?" Roxas's eyes widened.

Organization XIII…

It was a name that made Roxas's blood chill; he hated anything related to the inhabitants of the Realm Between.

The hooded man crossed his arms. "Your Director's supposed to take a Gummi Ship there and is probably already waiting for your return… or not," he mumbled the last part. "Anyway, let's go." He started walking away.

Roxas didn't follow. "I'm not going anywhere with you!" he said defiantly then made his way in the direction where he had parked his Car-Bike.

"You sure are stubborn!" The man huffed before hurriedly following the blond.

When he almost reached his destination, Roxas fished his pocket for his keys. He heard a whistle from the direction of what he assumed was where the annoying man was standing.

"Nice ride!" The hooded person said as he approached.

Roxas rolled his eyes._ Well… at least he was smart enough to not call it a car._

The tall figure started turning around the vehicle, taking in its every detail, and even ran a hand on it. Roxas could feel his eye twitch; he hated it when strangers touched his Proxima so casually.

When the mysterious man ended his examination, he turned to the irritated blond. "Man, the Ace sure has it good."

"Yeah, right," Roxas muttered under his breath. He unlocked the door and was about to get in but stopped abruptly and looked at the tall man. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Uh, getting in the car?" The hooded figure reached for the handle of the passenger door.

"Yes, I've figured that much. What I mean is: why are you still following me?" Roxas hissed in irritation.

"Uh, to show you the way to the Organization?" The man retracted his hand from the handle.

Roxas's patience ran out. "Are you deaf!? I told you I'm heading back to headquarters!"

The cloaked person sighed in exasperation. "Your Director said you wouldn't come with me easily, which is why he asked me to pass you this message in case you refused." He cleared his throat before relaying the message. "'If you don't show up at The Castle That Never Was, I will consider that our deal is off.' Whatever that means." He shrugged nonchalantly.

The blond froze in place; a reaction that didn't go unnoticed by the tall man and he kept observing the boy who seemed troubled.

After a little while, Roxas sighed and looked at the awaiting man. "Lead the way."

The words surprised the hooded figure. _It must be one hell of a deal to drive him into such helplessness,_ he thought absently as he reached out to open the passenger door. When his hand almost touched the handle, he heard the door get locked and looked up in confusion.

Roxas put a hand on his hip and twirled the keys on the index finger of the other one. "I don't remember saying anything about you riding with me, do you? For all I know you could be an assassin or an imposter—the possibilities are endless. Besides, I have a strict policy against riding with suspicious strangers. I'll wait here while you go get your ride."

The cloaked figure smirked in amusement. "Then it's not a problem if I'm no longer a stranger, right?" He reached a hand and proceeded to removing the hood of his coat.

The first thing that caught Roxas's eye was the bright red color of the shoulder-length hair which was styled into slicked-back spikes. The redhead's eyes were a bright emerald color and Roxas noticed purple reverse-teardrop shaped markings under each eye.

Examining the tall man's appearance, Roxas narrowed his eyes in distrust. _I find him even more suspicious now that he has removed his hood._

"The name's Axel, A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?" The redhead pointed a finger to his temple, smiling smugly.

_And what the hell kind of name is that?_

"Now, would you open the damn door?" The man put his hand on the passenger door handle.

"What about _your_ ride?" Roxas insisted.

The redhead shrugged. "I'll send someone to get it back later; there's no way in hell I'm missing the chance to ride in this beauty," he said, patting the Car-Bike's armor, unaware that the irritated blond wanted to strangle him right then and there.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Roxas unlocked the doors. Without wasting a second, the redhead jumped into the vehicle and made himself comfortable in the back seat. He lost no time in exploring the vehicle's interior and didn't leave a corner untouched. It took a lot of restrain, self-control, and will power for Roxas to not rip the man's head off. After removing his gloves, he revved the engine then put his seatbelt, the entertained passenger following suit.

"I suppose you know the way to the border, right?" the redhead inquired expectantly.

Roxas nodded. "Theoretically, yes."

"Theoretically?" the man echoed skeptically with a raised red eyebrow.

Roxas sighed. "I remember the map but have never driven there," he explained dryly.

"Good enough." The redhead smiled. "Just drive there and I'll warn you when you stray from the right way. Once we reach the border, I'll give you directions to The Castle That Never Was." He adjusted himself into a relaxed position. "This is gonna be one long ride!"

* * *

Roxas had never set foot in the Realm Between since the day he and Sora had lost everything. As Keyblade Wielders, their hometown was once part of the Realm Between before the incident that took place seven years ago. The Land of Departure was where the remaining Keybladers who had survived the Keyblade War decided to start over. The small town in the neutral territory was the perfect place to rebuild the lives that had been destroyed by the war.

Roxas released a heavy sigh; he had hoped that he would _never_ have to come back to that realm again. But there he was, on his way to the land that his brother and he had fled from without looking back.

The drive was mostly silent except for the redhead's soft snoring. Roxas scoffed. _Wasn't he supposed to keep an eye in case we lost our way? Such a reliable help he is!_

Since the Keyblade Graveyard was the closest to the Realm Between among the towns of the Realm of Light, it only took two long hours for the border to finally be in sight.

Glancing at the sleeping passenger in the back seat, Roxas rolled his eyes. _Useless._

When they finally reached the border, Roxas stopped the vehicle and stared at the shimmering whitish barrier that stood before him. The Door to Light was the borderline separating the Realm of Light from the Realm Between just like the Door to Darkness separated the Realm of Darkness from the Realm Between. It had been said that both doors were ethereal prior the Keyblade War; however, because of the clashing between Light and Darkness during the conflict, the equilibrium had been upset and the barriers had suddenly become visible.

Roxas kept gazing at the barrier in front of him; it had been a long time since he had last seen it up close. After a moment, he decided it was time to cross to the other side. "Well, I guess it's time to wake up the Sleeping Beauty." He turned back to the still-sleeping extra luggage and nudged his knee. "Hey, wake up! We've reached the border."

The redhead stirred in his sleep then groaned. "What? Where are we?"

"At the Door to Light, where else?" Roxas answered irritably. "You said you'd give me directions from here," he reminded, impatience clear in his voice.

"Ah, yeah… right," the disoriented passenger responded groggily. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he straightened up then looked at the blond. "Once we cross the barrier, tell me if you start feeling… weird."

Roxas tilted his head to the side. "Weird?"

The redhead scratched his head. "Yeah… y' know… Since the atmosphere is different between the realms thanks to those damn barriers, your body will need time to adapt so…"

Roxas mouthed a silent 'ah' in understanding; he had completely forgotten this fact about the three realms.

Though it was unknown what triggered the brutal war between the Keybearers of Light and those of Darkness, its devastating impact affected the whole world. The scholars who studied the barriers after their formation concluded that they were the world's defensive mechanism to avoid another collision between Light and Darkness. However, this remained nothing but speculations and theories.

"I'll keep that in mind," Roxas said before revving the engine and crossing the border.

Following the redhead's directions, Roxas made his way through the empty atmosphere of the Realm Between. At first, the air still held some of the freshness that characterized the atmosphere of the Realm of Light; however, the closer they got to their destination, the staler the air felt. It was no surprise, though, since The Castle That Never Was lay close to the Door to Darkness and thus to the Realm of Darkness.

When they were far enough from the barrier, the man let out an exasperated groan. "Finally!"

Roxas looked at him briefly in confusion. "What is it?"

The tall redhead straightened up. "We're finally at a safe distance for me to use a corridor and spare us the long ride."

Blue eyes widened. "We're gonna use a Dark Corridor?"

The redhead blinked. "Yeah… unless you want us to spend endless hours on the road."

Roxas frowned. "But… what about the risk of being corrupted?"

The passenger shrugged. "Your Director said that _you_ of all people should be just fine; something about your designed uniform being similar to our black coats. Besides, ever since the Time Warp incident some years ago, using the corridors became relatively safe 'cause the Realm Between lost the lingering Light and Darkness that remained trapped in it after the barriers appeared."

Despite his doubts, Roxas had no other choice but to believe what he was told. With a defeated sigh, he conceded. "I guess we'll have to do as you said, then."

With a satisfied grin, the crimson-haired man stretched his arm forward and a mist of black portal with a bluish hue appeared before the vehicle. Revving the Car-Bike, Roxas drove into the portal and a few seconds later he found himself in front of a huge castle. The duo stepped out of the vehicle and headed toward the massive building's only gate.

After entering the castle, Roxas silently followed his guide who swiftly made his way through the maze-like hallways. A few minutes later, they stopped in front of a big, white door. The redhead proceeded to opening the door, but only Roxas stepped in and the door was closed behind him. The room was large with a table in the middle and a few chairs. Moving closer, he could make out a single figure sitting on the chair farthest from the door.

"I see you made it back." The Director smirked in satisfaction upon seeing the blond.

Roxas looked at the man before him, trying his best to hide his contempt. _The bastard wasn't sure I would return alive._

The Director looked the blond over; except for the dirt covering his clothes, the boy didn't have a single scratch. His smirk widened. "I knew you were ready."

Roxas took a deep breath and forced his polite-mode on. "Sir, may I ask what this is about?"

The Director relaxed in his seat and rested his elbows on the armrests. "Since the demons' attacks have become more vicious and their numbers have been multiplying, the Superior of Organization XIII and I have decided to join forces to fight this threat together."

Roxas furrowed his brow in confusion; weren't humans and Nobodies on bad terms?

Nobodies…

The creatures Roxas loathed with every fiber of his being. They were what remained of those who had lost their hearts to Darkness. Since they had no emotions, they were looked upon as monsters that lacked humanity and were feared and hated by humans. Despite having grown up in the Realm Between, where Nobodies had transferred their kingdom after the war, Roxas didn't share this opinion until the massacre seven years ago made him see them in a new light.

The Director's calm voice brought the blond back to reality. "When the Superior first approached me about this alliance, he wanted proof that Order VII would live up to its reputation and asked for a demonstration. That is why _you_ were chosen for this task; you are the Order's most prized element, so it is only natural that you would represent our side. The mission you have been assigned was a test to judge your abilities; however…" he rested his chin on the back of his hand, "you will also be working here for a while."

Roxas frowned. "I'm afraid I don't understand, sir."

The Director smiled wickedly. "Since the Superior still had some doubts, the arrangement was that they get to keep you for an evaluation period," he calmly explained.

The answer made Roxas's blood boil. _Evaluation period? What am I, a product with a trial version now?_

Despite the burning urge to voice his objection, Roxas knew better than to protest. He knew firsthand that it was futile to argue with the Director; he was trapped with no way out of this. "How long will I be staying here?" he asked dejectedly.

The Director threaded his fingers. "As long as it takes for you to prove your worth."

Roxas's eyes widened as a wave of panic washed over him. "But, sir, I have to go back—"

"If it is your brother you are concerned about, rest assured; I will see to it that he is being looked after," the sinister man said with a knowing smirk.

Having nothing else to say, Roxas found himself cornered. Even though he had managed to complete the nearly-impossible mission, he would be staying here for an unknown period of time. _So this is why Leon apologized back then; it feels as if I'm being sold in some sort of deal._

Taking the blond's silence as a sign of acceptance, the Director proceeded to giving him some final instructions. "During your stay here, you will be working with Axel, the one you came here with. I read his file this morning and I think you two will make a good team. I do not need to tell you this but as the Order's Ace, you must live up to your name, and above all, always use your regular Keyblade and show them your weapon's superior abilities." He stood from his chair. "You can leave now; I still have to discuss a few things with the Superior."

Roxas wasted no time in getting out; staying in the same room with the sinister man was suffocating. When he was outside, he started walking away while fiddling with his watch.

"There's a clock over there if you want to see the time," the green-eyed Nobody, who was still nearby, pointed at a big wall clock nearby.

Roxas looked at the man impassively then went back to his fiddling. He could tolerate the redhead during the trip because he had no other choice, but he had no intention of interacting with a Nobody.

The tall male scowled. _What's __**his**__ problem?_ He kept observing the blond and his brows furrowed in curiosity that increased when he saw him take the watch part off. To his surprise, the boy flipped the detached part open and his green eyes widened upon discovering that it was actually a small phone.

Leaving the amazed man behind as another cloaked figure approached, Roxas sought a private corner while he scrolled down his contacts list. Putting the watch-phone to his ear, he heard it ring and patiently waited for his brother to pick up.

**"Hello? Roxas?"** came Sora's nervous voice.

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Roxas smiled unconsciously. "Hi, Sor."

**"What happened? How did the mission go? Are you hurt? Oh God, please tell me you're all right; if anything were to happen to you, I don't know what I'd do—"**

"I'm fine, Sora, so calm down before you give yourself a heart attack." Roxas chuckled. "The mission was a success so don't worry."

A relieved sigh sounded on the other end. **"I'm so glad." **There was a brief silence before the brunet spoke again. **"So… when will you be back?"** he asked hopefully.

Roxas frowned. "That's the reason I'm calling; I don't think I'll be returning any time soon."

**"What? Why?"**

Roxas sighed. "I'm not sure I understand either, but it seems I'll be staying away for a while."

**"Away? Where?"**

"Euuh…" Roxas trailed off, not knowing how to answer; should he tell his brother he was in the Realm Between and at Organization XIII no less?

Organization XIII was located at The Castle That Never Was in the town known as The World That Never Was. The Organization's members mainly did underground and illegal jobs such as assassination, reconnaissance and espionage, kidnapping, theft… You name it, they do it. But despite being part of the Realm Between, their services were also solicited by people from the Realm of Light; their name incited terror and distrust.

_I'd better tell him everything 'cause I'm sure he'll find out sooner or later,_ Roxas reasoned. Taking a deep breath, he reluctantly spoke, "I… right now I'm in… the Realm Between."

**"WHAT!? WHY!?"**

The outburst made Roxas pull the phone away before he could press it back against his ear. "Calm down, Sor, so that I can explain." He rubbed his eyes and could almost feel the upcoming headache. "I was sent here for something related to Organization XIII—"

**"WHAT!? Organization XIII?"**

"Sora," Roxas warned calmly.

**"Sorry… Go on,"** the brunet said sheepishly.

"As I was saying," Roxas continued, "from what the Director said, it seems there's gonna be an alliance between Organization XIII and Order VII to fight the demons. I think it's mainly because their numbers have increased in the Realm Between and they're not well equipped to fight back the threat."

**"I see…"** Sora said thoughtfully. **"And how do you fit in all this?"**

_My best guess is that I'm sort of like a product with a 'satisfied or refunded' guarantee. _Roxas sighed. "Apparently, they want to make sure that the Order is a worthy ally or something like that, and as the Ace, I'll have to prove it to them."

Sora was silent for a few moments before speaking again. **"And how long will you stay?"**

"I… I'm not sure…" Roxas heard a faint complaining sound on the other end and could almost see the pout on his brother's face. "But don't worry, I'll try to come back soon," he quickly reassured.

Sora's answer came a little disheartened. **"As long as you promise me to stay out of harm's way and call me every day."**

"Will do," Roxas said with a small smile. After saying goodbye, he reattached the watch-phone to his wrist-band. _Now, where will I be staying? _He looked around a few times scanning his surroundings. _Just where is that useless nuisance when you need him?_ Scanning the area for a sign of the redhead, he was starting to feel unusually tired; his head was heavy and his body was sluggish. _I guess the change of atmosphere is starting to get to me._

"There you are; I've been looking for you."

The blue-eyed boy turned around upon hearing the annoying, familiar voice.

"Seriously, I take my eyes off you for a minute to talk to someone and the next thing I know you're nowhere in sight," the redhead said, advancing toward the younger boy.

"I'm free to go wherever I damn well please!" Roxas snapped; the unfolding events had taken their toll on him, which made him easily irritable.

"Aggressive much?" The tall man cocked his head in amusement.

Roxas pinched the bridge of his nose as his headache escalated; his mood had also taken a turn to the worse. "Whatever. Just take me to where I'll be staying," he said with forced calm.

"All right, come with me." The redhead started walking with the blond obediently following him. The boy was enjoying the silence until his guide decided to increase the throbbing of his head with his talk. "The Superior told me we'll be working together during your stay here."

"Yeah, great," Roxas said blandly.

"Your enthusiasm is overwhelming!" the man next to him commented sarcastically.

When the blond opened his mouth to retort, he was cut off.

"Is that him?" an unfamiliar, deep, male voice boomed.

Looking behind the redhead, Roxas saw two males and a female approaching. All three of them were also wearing similar black coats but the garments weren't quite the same. Blue eyes were rolled. _Great! More Nobodies._

"So this is Order VII's famous Ace?" the owner of the same voice asked, examining the blond boy with doubtful blue eyes. He had short platinum-blond hair in a Caesar cut and an ungodly number of earrings in both ears. Looking closer, Roxas noticed the man also had a goatee.

"What!? Are you telling me this twerp is the one we've been informed about?" said a woman with a slicked back, jaw-length, bright, blond hair with two long, antennae-like strands.

Roxas was in no mood to start a quarrel over the insult but raised a curious eyebrow at the girl's appearance. _Was she an insect in a previous life or something?_

"You shouldn't underestimate him, Larxene. Didn't you hear what Axel told us?" another man interjected. Among the three of them, he had the most unusual appearance: golden eyes, pointed ears, eyepatch on the right eye, jagged scar on the left cheek, and dark hair with several grey streaks tied into a long ponytail.

The girl's bright green eyes were skeptical. "I only believe what I see with my own eyes."

The platinum-blond crossed his arms in defiance. "For my part, the way Axel described his fight at the Keyblade Graveyard makes him live up to his reputation."

"Yeah, kiddo, it's not easy to impress our Axel; you must be _really_ something!" the guy with golden eyes stated, addressing Roxas. The blond, however, didn't seem interested in the least by the conversation and was more preoccupied with his declining health.

Noticing that the boy was growing pale, the redhead decided to put him out of his misery. "If you'll excuse me, guys, I need to show our honorable guest to his room."

Though Roxas would _never_ admit it, the voice announcing his salvation was music to his ears.

After the duo parted from the other three Nobodies, it didn't take long for them to come to a stop in front of a door similar to many other ones that they had passed on their way. Once inside, Roxas barely had the strength to stand on his feet. Without paying attention to anything else besides the bed in-between the window and door, he trudged over to the tempting sanctuary and ungracefully slumped down on the mattress.

"You sure are young for the position you're holding," the redhead started a conversation which was met with silence. "Maybe being a Keyblader has something to do with it." Silence. "Are you listening?" More silence. "Oh, I see. Are you one of those arrogant jerks who think too highly of themselves and ignore the others because they consider themselves superior?"

Roxas's patience was starting to wear thin. "Just leave me alone already! I don't want to be around Nobodies any more that I absolutely have to!" he snapped with a murderous glare.

The redhead crossed his arms and smiled at the boy coldly. "I see you're just like all the other humans who hate Nobodies."

"I have my reasons," Roxas hissed in a tone dripping with venom.

"Oh, really?" the standing man said mockingly. "'Cause we, Nobodies, _despise_ humans, but you don't see us treating you with hostility."

"You've done enough damage already," Roxas muttered darkly as he lowered his head. He heard some footsteps before hearing the door close. He lifted his head to make sure he was finally alone then lay down on the bed and stared at the white ceiling. Being back to the Realm Between seemed to awaken his dormant hatred for its inhabitants. He could never forgive the ones who had caused Sora and him so much grief.

Such a deep

**Unhealed Wound.**

As tired blue eyes closed, only one thing was on their owner's mind. _I wonder when I'll get back to Sora._ And with that final thought in mind, he found himself pulled into a surprising, yet welcome, dreamless sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Roxas woke up to unfamiliar surroundings: a white room with metal-like walls, an uncomfortable white bed, and a window overlooking an empty, black sky. It took him some time to figure out where he was and when he did, he moaned in dismay. _So it wasn't all just a bad dream._

A quick look at his watch revealed that it was morning, but the lack of light contradicted this fact. After wallowing in sorrow for a few more minutes, Roxas decided to face the ordeals the day had in store for him. Dragging himself out of bed, he stood in front of the window and observed the view outside; the dark sky was a very gloomy sight and being close to the Realm of Darkness only added to the depressing atmosphere.

The sound of the door opening snapped the blond from his contemplation.

"Good morning, Sunshine!" A _very_ recognizable voice greeted cheerfully.

Roxas groaned at the teasing nickname; he couldn't handle the redhead's pestering this early in the morning. "Don't call me that!" he turned around and hissed through gritted teeth.

"Why not?" The redhead smirked impishly. "With that golden, spiky hair of yours, you can easily pass as a walking sun."

Roxas knitted his eyebrows together in irritation. "Then how about I call you _Flamesilocks_ while we're at it?"

The redhead's smile vanished. "Did you hear it from Xigbar?"

"Who?" Roxas asked, wrinkling his nose in distaste.

"Never mind," the tall male dismissed the subject. "Buuuut…" He smiled mischievously. "I'll allow you to use that nickname if I get to call you _Goldilocks_ in return," he emphasized the offending nickname.

Roxas was mortified. "Over my dead body!"

"Awww… You're no fun, Goldi—"

"Don't," Roxas warned menacingly, "or I swear I'll beat the hell out of you."

The blond seethed with anger as his threat seemed to amuse the older male who laughed without restrain. "I'd really like to see you try."

Roxas crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow challengingly. "Shall I remind you that I didn't acquire the Ace position without _earning_ it?"

"Yeah? Well, I'm not half bad myself." The redhead smiled cockily.

Roxas eyed him doubtfully. "Why do I find that hard to believe?"

A wicked smile adorned the tall male's lips. "Then I guess I'll have to prove it to you. We have our first mission together today so it'll be the perfect opportunity."

"Knock yourself out." Roxas shrugged indifferently.

The green-eyed man scowled at the boy's lack of reaction but brushed it off. "First, we need to go to the Grey Area to receive the details. I'm sure the others are already…"

Roxas drowned out the redhead's exasperating voice; this was only his first day in the Organization and he already wanted to hang himself. However, before starting his list of suicide plans, he reasoned that he should first try to soldier on and save the suicide option as his last resort. Despite his unwillingness to deal with his sworn enemies, he had to swallow his rancor and cooperate with them. No matter how much he hated it, he simply had to accept this predicament. After reaching this enlightening conclusion, all that was left to do was stick to it. However, it was easier said than done.

"Hey, you coming?" the crimson-haired male called, halfway to the door.

Roxas put a hand on his hip and lowered his head to the side, releasing a heavy sigh, then looked back at the waiting man. "All right, let's go, Ax…" he trailed off thoughtfully, "ess."

"EL!"

"Whatever."

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere in The Castle That Never Was, a man with long, blue hair with wild spikes at the top was sitting on one of many marble, throne-like chairs in a circular room. He had pointed ears and an X-shaped scar between his yellow eyes. On the highest chair, another man with pointed ears was leaning back with his right elbow on the armrest and his chin resting on the knuckles of his fisted hand. The intimidating man had orange eyes and tanned skin, and his hair was silver and reached about mid-back.

"Lord Xemnas, how long do you plan to keep the Order's Ace here?" the man with blue hair spoke in a calm tone.

"I haven't decided yet. It all depends on Axel's reports on the upcoming missions."

The blue-haired Nobody nodded. "From what Axel said about the test mission, the boy seems quite useful and his fighting skills are remarkable."

The silver-haired man smirked. "Of course! He's not Order VII's Ace for nothing." He then turned to the other Nobody. "Now go give Axel his mission description and make sure he understands perfectly what's expected of him."

"Yes, sir," the blue-haired man replied before disappearing into a Dark Corridor.

When only the tanned man remained in the room, he put both his hands on the chair's armrests and mused in a quiet voice. "A Keybearer who is not the one we're seeking…" He paused for a moment then smiled wickedly. "I'm curious to know how come there's another survivor of the Keyblade Massacre other than the chosen one."

* * *

Upon reaching their destination, apparently known as the Grey Area, Roxas could hear faint voices coming from the room ahead. After entering, he recognized the trio he had met the previous day and they seemed engrossed in a conversation with some other members who were sitting on the couches placed at the right side of the room.

"I think my new experiment is going to work this time," a man with long, pale-blond hair and two relatively long bangs framing his face spoke.

"As if!" The guy with eyepatch scoffed.

"Come on, Vexen, you say that every time. I think it would be best if you just admitted that you're a shitty Necromancer," the girl from last time cackled.

"Yeah, everyone knows that Zexion over there…" the one-eyed man pointed at a member reading a book on a couch on the opposite side of the room, "… is the best Necromancer there is."

Upon hearing his name, said member raised his head and looked impassively at the group. He had steel-blue hair which sported messy bangs that completely covered the right side of his face. Without saying a word, he went back to reading his book as if it held the answers to the universe's most fascinating mysteries.

When no one seemed to notice the standing pair, Axel took it upon himself to make their arrival known. "Yo, everyone, please welcome our newcomer," he announced, drawing everyone's attention to them.

Roxas almost growled. _Don't say it like I'm one of you._

The room went dead silent as all its occupants ceased their chatter and turned to look at Roxas. The blond was starting to feel nervous under their scrutiny but refused to let it show. The silence went on until a member who had a girly face and fluffy, shoulder-length, rose-pink hair with ruffles approached the blond.

Roxas scoffed._ And I thought that annoying Axel guy's hair was ridiculous._

"So, this is the famous Keyblade Wielder," a male voice betrayed the feminine features.

Roxas blinked and couldn't help but voice his surprise. "You're a man?"

Rather than being insulted, the man smiled and held a rose to his chest. "Ah, I guess my beauty is just too awe-inspiring." He raised the back of his other hand to his forehead and closed his blue eyes in a dramatic pose. "It's both a gift and a curse."

"That's Marluxia for ya! Only _he_ would take pride in such an offending question." The blonde girl laughed.

And just like that, the awkward silence was broken and the room went back to its liveliness.

Motioning for the blond boy to sit at one of the empty spaces, Axel took a seat next to the guy with steel-blue hair, earning himself a glare. "Awww, Zexion, are you still holding a grudge against me for setting one of your books on fire? Come on, it was only this one time," he half-whined, which didn't seem to have much of an effect.

"As if! You keep playing with fire like that and you'll burn the whole castle next."

"I didn't ask for your pearls of wisdom, Xigbar." Axel glared at the golden-eyed man who only threw his head back and laughed.

From the other corner of the room, the man with the goatee yelled. "Hey, Lexaeus! How about a poker game?"

Sitting on one of the couches to the left, a giant man with auburn hair slicked back into odd messy spikes lifted his head and glared at the platinum-blond Nobody. Despite his unusually huge build, the man's presence had gone completely unnoticed due to his deathly silence.

"Leave him alone, Luxord," Axel yelled back. "You know he's not into this stuff as much as you are."

"I know; I just wanted to hear him say something." The platinum-blond roared with laughter.

Looking across the Grey Area from where he was still standing, Roxas examined the different Nobodies one by one, mentally labeling them. _First impressions in order of appearance: a crazy pyromaniac, a pincushion gambler, a mutant bug, an elflike pirate, a mad scientist, an antisocial bookworm, a narcissistic androgyny, and a mute colossus._ He scoffed. _This sure bodes well!_ A thought crossed his mind and he chuckled lightly to himself. _Demyx would definitely feel right at home here and would be a valuable addition as a lazy musician._

Roxas made his way toward one of the couches on the left side and took a seat as far as he could from the Nobodies, which wasn't all that far considering they were filling the room. He had only met eight out of the thirteen members of the Organization and a thought kept nagging at him. _I'm yet to meet the other members of this freak show as well as the dreadful ringmaster, but…_ He shook his head in dismay._  
_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_J__ust what the hell kind of place is Organization XIII? _

* * *

E.A.N. (Ending Author Notes):

Ha, another anime reference (only uses this excuse to cover up her uncreativity (if that's even a word)).

And that's the end of chapter 2. What did you think of it? Like it? Hate it? Just drop a comment and let me know. Feel free to tell me what you think is going to happen or what you think should happen next. Even though the story is pretty much set into stone, your reviews may inspire me to include new things or give me ideas that could even make this fiction deviate from the original path and throw it in a completely different direction.

On a side note, Axel ended up _very_ different from the way he was first intended to be. He was supposed to be very cold and indifferent, but for some reason, he ended up very close to his personality in KH. I'm not sure whether it's a good or a bad thing. We'll see in the future.

Now that this has been said, please review *puppy dog eyes*.

Readers: It doesn't work unless it is done by someone cute.

Me: *Frowns* How mean! *Kicked puppy eyes*.

Readers: It's useless.

Me: Tch!

*Looks around then smiles evilly*

*Grabs Sora and throws him in front of the readers*

Sora: *Looks around confused* Wh-what's going on?

Me: Don't ask questions and just ask for reviews. If it's you who's doing the puppy dog eyes strategy, readers will definitely succumb. I would've asked Roxas but I'm sure his demon lord glare will have the opposite effect.

Sora: B-but—

Me: Don't argue with me and do it!

Sora: *Frightened* P-please review.

Me: The puppy dog eyes, Sora!

Sora: *Teary puppy dog eyes*.

Me: *Smiles in satisfaction* Good boy *pats Sora's head*.

*Looks at readers* Come on! You can't resist that face; it's a crime!

*Whispers to Sora* The teary touch was a smart move. I didn't know you were such a good actor.

Sora: *Mumbles* It wasn't an act… I was scared for my life.

Me: What was that, Sora?

Sora: *Shaking* N-nothing.

Me: All right, go join the others.

Sora: *Scurries away crying* Roooxaaaas!

Me: *Looks at Sora's retreating figure* Awww, how enthusiastic!


	5. Chapter 3: Distant Past

O.A.N.:

Soooo, here's chapter 3. What did you think of the previous one? Did you leave a review to express your opinion? If yes, here's a cookie for you *hands cookie*. If not, then go do it now before reading this chapter and come back to earn a cookie.

.

Disclaimer:

All right, here's the part where I—

Roxas: Did you bully Sora last time?

Me: *Gulps* I-I don't know what you're talking about.

Roxas: *Glares* Oh, you know _exactly_ what I'm talking about; he called me yesterday.

Me: *Trembling* Please don't use your demon lord glare.

Roxas: *Glares* Only if you apologize to Sora; he was terrified.

Me: B-but, it was for the common good.

Roxas: And _how_ is that exactly?

Me: Ummm… _My_ fanfiction receiving reviews so that _I_ can have an idea of what the readers thought of _my_ story and—

Roxas: And how is that beneficial to _us_?

Me: *Deer-in-the-headlights look* I-I…

Roxas: *Glares* _That's_ what I thought.

Me: *Wails* Please… I'm begging you… anything but the glare…

Roxas: Then go apologize!

Me: Yes, sir! *Scurries away*

Roxas: *Sighs* In her haste to go, the idiot forgot to finish this part.

*Shrugs* I guess I'll do it since I'm feeling charitable.

*Looks at readers* KH does _not _belong to the ungraceful girl who just ran away. If you understand, feel free to go ahead and read the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 3: Distant Past

_Just what the hell kind of place is Organization XIII?_

Based on the rumors Roxas had heard about Organization XIII, he would have taken it to be a more… intimidating place, for lack of a better word. And based on the image he had of Nobodies, the members of the Organization seemed to contradict everything he believed the hateful creatures to be. Was he mistaken? Could it be that the trauma had clouded his memories and judgment? Hell, no. He still remembered the details of the massacre and the way he had felt that day—frightened, weak, and helpless.

Although all the human towns in the Realm Between had been attacked by Nobodies, the raid on the Land of Departure had been a lot more vicious, leaving no survivors besides Roxas and Sora. The former also wouldn't have made it out alive if it weren't for the whim of _that_ monster. Roxas didn't know whether to be grateful for it or not, but he still didn't fully understand the reason he wasn't killed that day.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

_"I like your fighting spirit."_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

After the war that Nobodies had waged on humans, the survivors fled to the Realm of Light, where they started anew. The absurd motive behind the war was what made Roxas despise those monsters even more; they only did it to expand their kingdom's territory, using revenge as an excuse. It was their way of getting back at humans for the way they viewed and treated Nobodies. But as far as Roxas knew, both races had coexisted rather peacefully in the Realm Between. There was no denying that humans didn't like Nobodies, and it was true that there had been some conflicts now and then; however, it wasn't anything to start a war over. It seemed as if the fight had been triggered out of nowhere for no seemingly convincing reason.

Roxas was vaguely aware of the redheaded Nobody speaking to him but paid him no mind; he had no interest in learning the names of the Organization's members. When he snapped out of his musing some minutes later, he looked around only to be greeted by an empty room; he had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he failed to notice when the others had left. Deciding that he had no other choice but to wait, the blond remained quietly seated on the white couch. Luckily, his wait was cut short when Axel entered the Grey Area.

"I've received the details of today's mission so let's get going," the redhead said then motioned for the boy to follow him with a jerk of his head.

"Where have you been?" Roxas asked, standing from the couch.

Axel blinked at the unexpected question. "Saïx wanted to hand me the mission's description in private so we had to go somewhere else."

"And why is that?" Roxas prodded.

The redhead crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "You're asking an awful lot of questions."

Roxas shrugged. "I like being up-to-date."

"Fair enough." Axel smirked. "The answer to your question is: because our missions are secret. Satisfied?"

"Not quite, I think you're hiding something," Roxas replied as he made his way to where the other male was standing.

"And what makes you think that?" Axel asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A hunch," the blond simply explained with a knowing smirk then passed the standing redhead who fell into step beside him.

"So you're basically saying that you don't trust me," Axel stated, not asked.

"Dead-on," Roxas answered without missing a beat as they walked side by side.

"You wound me so." The redhead put a hand on his chest and feigned hurt. "I thought we started off on the right foot."

"Really? I'd say it was the wrong one."

Axel sighed melodramatically. "I'm pained that you think so."

Roxas shrugged as they continued their walk. "I couldn't care less."

"Ouch," Axel winced, "every word that comes out of your mouth is like a bullet."

"Then you should start wearing a ballistic vest."

The redhead huffed. "You have an answer to everything, don't you?"

"I try."

Axel fell into silence and frowned in defeat; the kid had a smart retort ready for everything he said. _Well… at least this is better than the resentment he showed the previous day._

It was true that Axel couldn't blame the kid for acting the way he was; after all, the boy was a Keyblader, and Axel was well aware of the events that had taken place seven years ago. As a Nobody, he had lived for many years now since the aging process for his race was different from that of humans. Despite the way his kind had been treated, he considered launching a full-out war on humans meaningless. Not that Axel cared about them or anything; he just didn't like it when things didn't make sense.

"So what's our mission?" the blond asked after briefly enjoying his victory.

Axel shook his head to dispel his thoughts before answering. "The usual 'get rid of all demons' and a few errands. We'll be using a corridor; it'll be faster."

Roxas nodded. "And where will we be going?"

"To Twilight Town."

* * *

Coming out of the Dark Corridor, Roxas had to shield his eyes from the blinding sun; it had been dark in The Castle That Never Was, which was why his vision needed time to adjust to the sudden brightness.

Even though it had been a long time since Roxas had last visited Twilight Town, it still looked the same. Being in the familiar town brought back memories of his first encounter with his good friends: Hayner, Pence, and Olette. Back in those days, Hayner had been rather wary of Roxas and didn't accept him into the group until after a trial that consisted of juggling a ball in the air without dropping it. Why he had chosen such a weird test was beyond Roxas, but he went along with it. To everyone's surprised, Roxas had been easily able to break the cautious boy's record; apparently, he was a natural, which had impressed the stubborn Hayner, who had welcomed him into the group with open arms. Back then, Sora had refused to get along with Roxas's new friends, saying that he didn't like them because they were going to 'steal' his big brother from him. Roxas still remembered how his little brother would cling to him and glare daggers at Hayner whenever the older boy friendly put an arm around his shoulder. He had to admit that Sora's reaction was cute. Even though there was no need to worry because to him, his little brother would always be his number one.

Such a nostalgic

**Distant Past.**

Despite the distance separating the Land of Departure and Twilight Town, it was possible to travel back and forth between them by train—though the trip was a long one. This had been how the four friends kept in touch during the one year they had known each other.

After humans were chased away from the Realm Between, Roxas thought he would never see his friends again, but he was proven wrong when he was sent on a mission to one of Hollow Bastion's many districts. Needless to say the blond was happy to be reunited with his friends and was relieved to know that they had survived the war.

Taking a deep breath of the reminiscent air, Roxas closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling for a few more moments before moving. As the blond started walking away through the still well-known roads, Axel kept his eyes glued to the boy's retreating back, the words from this morning's conversation replaying in his mind.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

_"So, Saïx, what's the big deal? Why did you want to talk to me in private?"_

_"To give you Lord Xemnas's instructions."_

_"Ohhh? This is new."_

_"Since you'll be the one working with the Ace, your responsibilities will be quite different from usual."_

_"All right, what am I supposed to do?"_

_"Continue the evaluation task and keep a close eye on the boy. We need a detailed report on him after each mission."_

_"Is that all?"_

_"The prime thing Lord Xemnas wants you to do is win the boy's trust by any means."_

_"And why is that?"_

_"It's not your place to know. Just do as instructed."_

_"I hate to break the news to you, Saïx, but the kid __**despises**__ Nobodies; what makes you think I have a chance at accomplishing such a task?"_

_"When it comes to worming a way into someone's life, you're the right man for the job."_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Saïx's words were true; Axel had a way with people that allowed him to get on their good side. However, he wasn't sure this kid's walls were going to be easy to break through; this was going to be very difficult. But then again, Axel always loved a little challenge; it made him more motivated.

Striding, the redhead caught up with Roxas who was about to round a corner. Since the blond already knew the area, he didn't need Axel's assistance to reach his destination: the Woods beyond the borders of town.

Once there, the motive behind the mission was perceivable: a slightly large number of Dusks lurking in the area. Putting on his gloves and summoning his Oathkeeper, Roxas was about to step through the crack in the wall leading inside the Woods but was stopped when Axel grabbed his arm.

"Where do you think you're going?" the redhead asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Where else? To eliminate the Dusks," Roxas responded impatiently.

"We're supposed to do this together, remember?"

Recollection dawned on Roxas who relaxed his grip on the Keyblade. "I'm not used to working with anyone," he mumbled.

"Yes, I know. I've already read your file; that's how I knew your name," Axel said, releasing the blond's arm.

"So, how does this work?" the younger boy inquired.

Axel smirked cockily. "We make a plan that works for both of us," he answered as he scanned the area from behind the cracked wall they were using as a hideout.

Roxas nodded. "And what do you suggest?"

Axel tapped the floor with his foot for a few seconds before speaking. "Since we're up against Dusks, we need to be careful of their slithering movement. Despite their relative weakness, in large groups, they can be quite annoying. We need to work together without getting in each other's way but remain close enough in case one of us needed help." He paused before continuing. "We must decide on one of two strategies: either fight the same enemy, which would annihilate it faster, or choose different targets and reduce the demons' number quicker." He looked at the blond, expecting his opinion on the matter.

"I think the second strategy would work better for this battle," Roxas offered. "Since Dusks are weak, there's no need for us to team up against the same target; working in parallel would be more efficient," he elaborated.

The redhead smirked. "My thoughts exactly!"

Roxas nodded. "All right, since we agree on this point, let's plan our moves."

Axel crossed his arms. "Any ideas?"

The blonde examined the soon-to-be battlefield. "From what I can gather, the number of Dusks is relatively—but not alarmingly—big. If we're gonna each attack different enemies, I suggest we start at the same point and move in opposite directions. One of us will move clockwise and the other one counterclockwise; this way, we won't get in each other's way and if one of us wipes out the Dusks faster than his counterpart, he will automatically find himself joining him and help finish off the remaining enemies.

"We should also keep in mind not to wander off when fighting and keep the radius of our movement moderated to be able to reach each other in case one of us needed help. Moreover, the scattered trees might be a little hindrance but we can also use them to our advantage."

Axel smiled slyly. "That's even better than the plan I had in mind."

"Does this mean I passed the test?" Roxas asked with a knowing smirk.

"Huh?" The redhead eyed him quizzically.

Blue eyes were rolled. "You only wanted to hear my plan to evaluate my strategic skills," Roxas clarified.

Axel crossed his arms. "And on what ground do you base such an off-the-mark assumption?" _Though you actually hit the mark._

"A hunch." The blond shrugged.

"A hunch?" Axel repeated.

Roxas glanced back into the Woods through the opening in the wall to make sure the Dusks still hadn't noticed their presence. "We should get going."

An idea crossed the redhead's mind and his lips curled up mischievously. "Wanna make things more interesting?" Blue eyes looked at him dreadfully. "How 'bout we compete to see which of us kills more Dusks," he suggested with a gleam in his eyes.

Roxas sighed in exasperation. "What are you, eight?"

Axel shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a fun-loving guy."

Roxas crossed his arms. "And I'm not in the mood to take part in your childish game."

"What are you, eighty?" Axel shot back, mimicking the blond's early statement.

"Close enough."

"Well then," Axel smirked, "you ready, grandpa?"

"Whenever you are, son. I'll start at the left and move clockwise while you take the right and move in the opposite direction."

"Roger," the redhead responded before summoning two red and silver Chakrams, one in each hand.

Charging at the unsuspecting Dusks, Roxas and Axel managed to take out a couple of Dusks each before the redhead looked at the blond over his shoulder. "See you at the other half of the circle." He smirked cockily. "That is if you can keep up with me." And with that, he took off to the right, wiping out the enemies in his wake.

Roxas rolled his eyes before fully focusing on his battle. The Dusks weren't a fearsome foe, all you had to do was keep a good pace and watch out for their sly attacks. With a dashing back flip slash that was followed by a forward thrust, the blond started his share of the fight. He linked his previous attack with a spinning front flip attack that ended in a strong downward slash. With the first few Dusks in his way eliminated, Roxas advanced toward the next targets. He jumped back then rushed forward while performing a diagonal spinning slash with his Keyblade, followed by an upward vertical slash.

Making his way through the groups of Dusks, Roxas rolled to the side to avoid a few attacks before performing a ground combo. He started with a vertical downward slash and a thrust then drew his Keyblade back, flipped it, rushed forward and performed a quick spinning slash. A few Dusks attempted to attack him from behind but Roxas quickly used the tree in front of him as a shield then swiftly left his hideout to finish his attackers.

Glancing at the right side to check on Axel, Roxas made sure the redhead didn't need help and carried on his battle. Since he was used to fighting alone, he had to admit that working with someone made things a lot easier. He continued annihilating the enemies in the left side and trusted Axel to take care of those in the right one. The battle was halfway through and the two of them steadily reduced the number of their enemies and progressed almost at the same pace. They kept unleashing one attack after another and dodged the hits aimed at them skillfully.

A few Dusks from the right side seemed to be attracted to Roxas's Keyblade and started flocking toward him. Noticing the movement out of the corner of his eye, Roxas cursed under his breath and opted for a dash forward while slashing with his weapon to clear a path toward the closest tree. Glancing over his shoulder to make sure the Dusks were chasing him, he ran up the tree before doing a back flip that allowed him to reverse his position and catch his enemies by surprise.

With the Dusks that were behind him now in front of him, Roxas took advantage of their disorientation and quickly performed a combo consisting of an initial thrust followed by an upward slash, a downward slash, and finished with another thrust. Not wasting a second, he chained with another combo to finish off the additional Dusks.

"Nice move!" Axel commented loudly while he continued fighting before realization dawned on him. "Hey! Those are part of _my_ territory!"

"They're in mine now, so I guess this means I'm ahead of you," Roxas retorted as he moved to a new group of Dusks and performed a lunge, an uppercut swipe, a downward slash, and finished with a hilt slash.

"I thought you weren't taking part in my 'childish game,'" Axel said with a very smug smile, without losing focus on his battle.

"What can I say? I'm a competitive person," Roxas responded, mimicking the redhead's early statement.

Axel smirked widely; this kid was really something else. Up until now, the redhead hadn't found anything interesting worthy of his time and was bored out of his mind with the dull people around him. Maybe the task he had been entrusted with would provide him with some entertainment and distract him from his boredom. If he had emotions, Axel was sure he would feel excited. But then again, what did he know about emotions? As a Nobody, he had none. Not that it mattered to him.

Without losing focus on his fight, Axel kept an eye on the boy. He had already seen him fight in the Keyblade Graveyard but couldn't help but admire his fighting style. The kid was agile as well as strong and his quick reflexes allowed him to adapt to any sudden event. He really was an exceptional fighter.

The fight continued on smoothly as Roxas and Axel annihilated Dusk after Dusk, all the while progressing almost at the same pace. When the battle was over, both of them had covered half of the circle and reached the check point at the exact same time.

Panting slightly, Axel dismissed his Chakrams and turned to the shorter boy. "This mission was a good bonding opportunity, don't you think?" he said while stretching. "The battle we fought side by side brought us closer."

Roxas raised an eyebrow. "And in what parallel universe did this happen exactly?" he retorted, dismissing his Keyblade.

The redhead gasped in mock-shock. "But I was sure we were finally at the end of the arduous road to an everlasting friendship."

Roxas scoffed. "We weren't even on this road to begin with."

Axel feigned disappointment. "You really know how to pour cold water on someone."

Tilting his head, Roxas eyed the redhead wearily. "Are you always this obnoxious or do you simply enjoy torturing me?"

Axel shook his head in mock-hurt. "I'm saddened by the negative opinion you have of me, Spadille."

"Spadille?" Roxas echoed with an arched eyebrow.

Axel put a hand on his hip and rested his weight on one leg. "Well… based on your position in Order VII and your rank insignia, it was the first thing that came to my mind when I read your file. And since you so earnestly turned down the other awesome nicknames, I decided to settle for Spadille, which, I'm sure, you'll find less offending than the other two." He sighed in dissatisfaction.

Roxas crossed his arms with a disapproving look on his face. "Just admit you were planning to call me this from the start. You just used the other abominable nicknames to make the one you _really_ wanted sound like a rose among the thorns."

The redhead's eyes slightly widened in shock; he had never met anyone capable of seeing through his skillful manipulation immediately. This kid was a lot more perceptive than most people, which meant that winning his trust was going to be even trickier than he had thought.

_This is gonna be one tough challenge,_ Axel inwardly reckoned. "Where did you get such an idea?" he feigned innocence.

"A hunch," came the simple reply, making the green-eyed man huff. "Besides," Roxas continued without missing a beat, "what makes you think you have the permission to use a nickname for me?"

Axel crossed his arms. "Since you've cheated in our competition, the least you can do is make it up to me," he tried to negotiate.

"I did _not_ cheat!" Roxas defended indignantly. "Those Dusks entered the left side on their own!"

The redhead shook his head wearily. "What could you possibly have against this creative nickname?"

"I don't like it," Roxas stated, crossing his arms and looking at the taller man defiantly.

Axel almost pouted. "But I think it suits you well. What, with that sharp tongue of yours and all; it's like getting stabbed with a blade. You also cut through obstacles on your path just like a sword, and there's even the double-edged aspect since you look harmless but in reality can do some massive damage with your Keyblade."

Roxas looked unimpressed. "Why, thank you for the uncalled-for poetic explanation."

Axel crossed his arms. "Yup, the first reason is definitely the most prominent one." He nodded to himself in confirmation.

Blue eyes were rolled. "Whatever."

"Does this mean you give me permission?" Axel asked with raised eyebrows.

The blond shrugged indifferently. "You're gonna call me that anyway, so why waste my breath telling you not to?"

"You've got a point there." Axel smirked slyly. "Anyway, how 'bout we finish the second half of our mission?" he suggested.

"The stupid errands part? Sure."

* * *

After three hours of walking around Market Street, Roxas was feeling extremely tired. Why did they have to run errands anyway? This was ridiculous! They had entered almost every store there was and Axel had only bought a few items which consisted of three books, a card deck, some test tubes, and flower seeds. When the redhead announced that he had bought what they needed, Roxas was close to tears: this had been torture.

Leaving the last store, Axel stopped suddenly after walking a few feet away and the blond almost bumped into him. "That's right!" He turned to the shorter boy.

Roxas rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Now what?"

"You didn't have breakfast this morning, did you?" Axel asked doubtfully.

The blond shook his head. "And your point?"

Axel grinned. "How about we go have something to eat? My treat," he offered.

Roxas narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "And to what do I owe this sudden… generosity?"

Axel shrugged. "Consider it a peace offering and a celebration of a budding friendship."

The blond scoffed. "You mean an imaginary one."

Choosing to ignore the boy's comment, Axel clapped his hands twice as a let's-hurry-up gesture. "Come on, let's go! I also happen to know the best place to enjoy the view," he declared as he started walking.

Reluctantly, Roxas dragged his feet and followed the redhead. After all, he _was_ hungry and needed food to eat.

* * *

Sitting on top of the big Clock Tower in the center of town, Roxas eyed the result of Axel's generosity in dismay. Was the guy an idiot or was he trying to get under his skin?

"When you said breakfast, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

Axel grinned. "Trust me, this beats anything else," he announced proudly.

"And what is this, anyway?" the younger boy asked while waving the 'food' in his hand.

"Sea-salt ice cream!" the redhead answered proudly.

Roxas wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Somehow, the name doesn't sound very appealing."

"Have you never eaten it before?" Axel asked with mild shock.

The blond meekly shook his head.

"No way!" Green eyes widened. "Are you saying you lived in the Realm Between and were to Twilight Town before without trying this ice cream?"

Roxas groaned in annoyance. "So what? Don't make it sound like the end of the world."

"If you give it a try, you'll understand," Axel affirmed, taking a bite from the light-blue treat. "Eating this ice cream here after a hard day's work is what I call the 'icing on the cake.'" He grinned.

Eyeing the ice cream doubtfully, Roxas hesitantly gave it a few testing licks. Surprised by the taste, he unconsciously expressed his opinion out loud. "It's salty… but sweet."

"But it's good, right?" Axel asked with a knowing smirk.

Roxas frowned in defeat; he hated to admit it but the ice cream _was_ good. So, instead of speaking, he simply nodded his head slightly and enjoyed his treat while admiring the view.

The sunset in Twilight Town was a beautiful sight to behold: the red color of the horizon made the sky look like it was on fire and the scattered clouds only added to the beauty of the scenery. Being on top of the Clock Tower made the view even more spectacular: the whole town below was bathed in the amber color and the distant golden sun was beautifully visible from such a high point. Roxas continued gazing at the orange-painted sky until he was snapped from his trance.

"Soooo…" Axel started after finishing his ice cream, "I see you've adjusted to the realm's atmosphere."

The blond nodded. "Yeah, I feel much better than yesterday."

"Which explains your foul mood." The redhead frowned. "Why didn't you say anything like I told you to?" he scolded, using the stick of his ice cream for emphasis.

"There was no need," Roxas answered in a flat tone.

Axel studied the blond, mentally analyzing him. _So he's the type who shoulders everything on his own and never leans on others or asks for their help._

Absentmindedly playing with the ice cream stick, Axel searched for a way to initiate another conversation that would allow him to get a better grasp of the boy's personality and his way of thinking. Such a task was proving to be difficult as nothing came to his mind, and the redhead resigned to silently watching the town below instead.

Among the different towns in the Realm Between, Twilight Town was where Axel preferred to go when he wanted to think or be alone. The top of the Clock Tower was his favorite place: it was quiet, secluded, and offered a great view. Bringing the boy here and offering him sea-salt ice cream was all part of his plan to get closer to him, but he was aware that he needed a lot more than this to achieve his goal. The kid's being a Keyblader meant that the chances of a Nobody gaining his trust were very slim.

As time went by, Axel noticed that it was getting late. "It's time to RTC," he announced as he pulled his arms up and stretched. When he received no response, he glanced back at the blond who was staring at his lap and seemed disheartened. "Don't you want to head back?"

Roxas didn't answer.

"Is it because you don't want to be in the same place with Nobodies?" Axel chanced a guess.

Again, there was no answer.

Axel sighed. "Trust me, once you get to know them, the members of the Organization aren't all that bad. Hell, even Larxene is tolerable despite her bitchy personality."

"Larxene?" Roxas furrowed his brows. "You mean the girl with antennae?"

Axel nodded. "Yup, that would be the one."

Roxas shook his head. "I hate to disappoint you but I have no intention to get to know any of them. Besides, I'm only bearing with you because I have to."

The redhead put a hand to his chest in mock-hurt. "Those are some harsh words, Spadille. If I were Marluxia, I'd probably cry."

"Marluxia?" Roxas arched an eyebrow.

"The one with pink hair," Axel clarified.

"Ah, the narcissistic feminine guy… Yeah… this sounds like something he would do."

Axel gave the blond a look of disapproval. "Seriously, Spadille, they're not that bad."

"Yeah right," Roxas scoffed. "Because the gambler and the guy with an eyepatch seem like the friendly type, and don't let me start about the creepy Necromancer or the antisocial one, not to mention the barely-noticeable giant."

Listening to the blond, Axel couldn't help but notice the way the kid was referring to the Organization members. "How come you don't refer to them by their names? You should know them by now; I just told you their names this morning before leaving to speak with Saïx. Weren't you paying attention?" He eyed the boy skeptically.

Roxas shrugged. "I'm not interested in remembering them, is all. Since I won't be working with any of them, why bother?"

"Is that so?" The redhead thought for a moment. "Then…" he started, eyeing the blond expectantly, "have you got my name memorized?"

The younger boy stared at him then answered with a straight face. "Access."

"You totally did that on purpose!"

* * *

Once they made it back to the castle, Roxas was a little depressed to find himself returning to the gloomy atmosphere of The World That Never Was. Although he had already memorized the way to his room, Axel had still insisted on going with him to make sure he wouldn't get lost and then had gone somewhere the blond didn't care to know.

Sitting on the bed with his legs crossed, Roxas took off his watch-phone and called Sora's number like promised. Listening to the ringing and waiting for his brother to answer, he turned his head toward the window and stared at the blackness outside; the dark sky was still as depressing with no starlight to be seen. After the fourth ring, he relaxed when he heard a click followed by the soothingly familiar voice.

**"Hi, Rox."**

The sound of Sora's voice made Roxas tense, and a frown found its way to his face; his brother lacked his usual cheerfulness, which he found alarming. "Sora, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

**"It's nothing."**

"I can tell something's bothering you," Roxas insisted.

There was a brief silence before Sora sighed. **"Someone new came to the Order today…"** he trailed off uncertainly.

"And?"

**"The Director called me to his office and said that this newcomer was going to be my bodyguard while you're at Organization XIII."**

At hearing this, Roxas remembered the Director's words from the previous day. _So he__** did**__ keep his word of taking care of Sora while I'm gone._ He smiled in relief. "And why do you sound so down?" he asked with a confused frown.

**"It's just that this new person is… a Nobody."**

"What!?" Roxas almost shouted.

Sora paused for a moment before continuing.** "The Director said that he was a member of the Organization."**

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!" Roxas ran a nervous hand through his hair. "What was he _thinking_!?"

**"He said that this Nobody was one of the best in Organization XIII and that he was specially chosen for this task."**

Roxas's free hand gripped the sheets of the bed where it had been resting. "Listen, Sor, be very careful around this Nobody and never let your guard down," he warned.

**"O-okay…"** Sora paused for a moment.** "… Roxas?"**

"Hmmm?"

**"No… it's nothing… Good night, Rox."**

"Good night, Sora," the blond answered back hesitantly; he was sure his little brother wasn't his usual self and the final unuttered words left him puzzled. What did Sora want to say? Was it really nothing? Or was he trying to hide something? It was frustrating to have no answers to the questions plaguing his mind.

With worry eating him up, Roxas was feeling restless. He wished he could leave this place already and go back to Sora's side. He felt uneasy knowing that his brother was under the care of a Nobody and there was nothing that he could do. He was already fed up with staying at The Castle That Never Was, but now, he was more than starting to grow impatient.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

_How much longer will I have to remain stuck here?_

* * *

E.A.N.:

And that's the end of chapter 3. Man, writing the fighting scene was such a pain; it didn't go half as smoothly as in chapter 1. It also was such a drag to make this chapter reach 13 pages without filling it with nonsense. By the way, did anyone notice the reference to chapter 1 of KH 358/2 Days manga?

A little explanation concerning Axel's nickname for Roxas: from what I gathered after research, Spadille (pronounced spəˈdil, or at least that's how I pronounce it) means Ace of Spades in the card games ombre and quadrille. It's from Spanish 'espadilla,' which is diminutive of espada (which means sword); thus, I think Spadille means small sword (I'm not sure). This is because apparently in Spain, they use swords instead of spades. If I got anything wrong, let me know.

Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. If you review, I'll give you a cookie—

Axel: Seriously, don't you have anything else besides cookies to bribe the readers with?

Me: *Appalled* I am _not_ bribing them! How could you accuse me of such a vile act?

Axel: Uh… 'cause that's what you're doing?

Me: Am not.

Axel: Are too.

Me: Am not!

Axel: Are too!

Me: Am not!

Axel: Are t—

Roxas: For God's sake stop this stupidity!

*Glares at Axel* Seriously, I can't believe you'd actually play along; you're as childish as she is.

Axel: Oh, come on, Spadille! It's fun!

Roxas: *Face-palms* It's my fault for trying to reason with an idiot like you.

Me: *Points at Axel* Haha, he called you an idiot.

Roxas: *Glares* Don't let me start with you; you take idiocy to a whole new level.

Me: *Trembling* Despite your cute face, that glare makes you terrifying.

Axel: Yeah, why don't you smile for a change?

Roxas: *Glares at Axel* You! Go die!

*Glares at Me* You! Go write!

*Glares at readers* You! Go review!

Axel: All right, guys, you heard the boss. Leave a comment and spare us all an agonizing death by Spadille's specialty: Rays of Doom.


	6. Chapter 4: Unbearable Void

O.A.N.:

Hi, all, how have you been? I bring to you today the new chapter of this fanfiction. To be honest, this was intended to be a filler chapter; however, I was trying to make it as interesting as possible and it ended up not being a filler anymore. Originally, the point where this chapter ends was supposed to be where the previous chapter should have ended. However, I have a strict policy which requires that a chapter be 13 pages long. I know it's stupid but I can't help it. Anyway, this means that I had two options: either make chapter 3 longer or add another chapter. Obviously I chose the latter.

A big thank you to those who reviewed so far; it makes me extremely happy to see that you are taking the time to leave a comment *wipes an imaginary tear*.

.

Disclaimer:

All right, this is always a very depressing part of each chapter; it always reminds me of how much I—

Axel: Just cut to the chase before Spadille arrives, will ya?

Me: Hey! I thought you were my ally *pouts*.

Axel: Not anymore. Spadille is _not_ someone you want to make an enemy of, and I _really_ can't afford to get on his bad side.

Me: B-but, Axel, with the two of us, I'm sure we can—

Axel: *Shakes head* You're on your own.

Me: You traitor! *Runs away feeling betrayed*

Axel: *Looks at readers* KH is property of Square Enix and Disney. Got it memorized?

* * *

Chapter 4: Unbearable Void

_How much longer will I have to remain stuck here?_

Roxas could easily get through anything as long as it was him who was at risk and not Sora. Being the one who had to deal with Nobodies was fine with him since he knew his little brother was spared from such trouble. However, knowing that there was a Nobody at the Order and that he was near Sora no less, he could no longer stand being this far apart.

Lying in bed with a million thoughts running through his head and a consuming worry tearing him apart, Roxas felt himself drowning in helplessness. And with a heavy heart, he closed his eyes and waited for sleep to take him so that another day would come, and he would be one step closer to going back.

* * *

Looking down at his watch-phone, Sora released a heavy sigh; it was a good thing he had stopped himself from finishing his sentence earlier. There was no need to make his brother worry further; he was sure Roxas must already be feeling upset about this situation. Besides, his big brother had it a lot worse than him: while he was at home among the people he knew and had to deal with only one Nobody, Roxas was alone in an unknown land and was surrounded by only Nobodies. Sora couldn't possibly burden his big brother more than he already must be. He couldn't be this selfish and complain to him about his own situation which, compared to Roxas's, was a lot more sufferable.

Staring at the ceiling of his room, Sora found himself lost in thoughts. This wasn't the first time Roxas had to stay out of headquarters, but usually, it never lasted long and he always knew when his big brother would be back. However, this time was different in many ways, and for some unknown reason, the brunet couldn't help but feel that something life-changing was about to take place. He could only hope nothing bad would happen.

Closing his eyes, Sora sighed heavily; it had only been a day since he had last seen Roxas but he missed him terribly. Then again, he always felt lonely when his brother wasn't near him.

Such a suffocating

**Unbearable Void.**

To Sora, Roxas was his rock; he couldn't imagine what would have become of him if it weren't for his brother. All those years they had spent in the Realm of Light, they only had each other, and Roxas had taken it upon himself to take care of Sora to the best of his abilities. The brunet was well aware of this. But although he knew that everything Roxas did was out of love and not obligation, he still felt like a burden despite his conviction that such a thought would never cross his brother's mind. This had been the reason he wanted to join Order VII.

Convincing Roxas hadn't been an easy task, but the persistent brunet had managed to do it. He knew the reason his brother had been so opposed to his joining the Order was his concern for his safety, but Sora refused to let his brother shoulder everything on his own.

No words in the world could describe how dearly Sora loved his big brother. Having someone ready to fight the world for you wasn't a common occurrence, which was why he felt blessed. Ever since they were young, Roxas had always been very good to him; however, when they lost their parents, his big brother became even more protective of him.

When the Land of Departure was destroyed, the two brothers, along with the other survivors, were transferred to the Realm of Light. However, since Roxas and Sora had no one to turn to, they had to live in the streets, which was hard especially for children. Sora was fully aware that Roxas was sacrificing a lot for him; after all, his brother did join the Order for his sake.

Roxas had first joined Order VII to earn money and provide a place to live for Sora and himself. Normally, a contract lasted for one year and was renewed if the one working at the Order wished for it, and it was possible to resign. However, due to Roxas's extremely young age at the time, the Director had refused to let him in, which had pushed the blond into using his trump card of being a Keyblader. Hearing this, the Director had taken advantage of Roxas's desperation and had made him sign a contract for ten years without the possibility to quit. Not having any choice, the cornered blond had done so.

Sitting up in his bed, Sora hugged his legs to his chest and buried his face between his knees. "Roxas… please come back soon… I hate it here without you."

* * *

"So, Axel, how did it go?" Saïx calmly asked.

The two Nobodies were sitting in the circular room with throne-like chairs. After coming back from his first mission with Order VII's Ace, Axel had to meet up with Saïx for a report on how things had gone. It was a normal procedure here at Organization XIII: for every mission they went on, members were expected to first give a brief account on its unfolding then provide a document with a detailed description. To the redhead, this procedure had always been a boring chore he wished he could skip; what was the point of this meeting if he was going to submit a written report anyway?

Looking at the blue-haired Nobody, Axel answered the routine question, not even bothering to hide his fascination. "The kid's really good, Saïx. It's a shame he's not part of the Organization. No wonder he holds the Ace position despite his young age."

"That good, huh?" Saïx commented in a slightly amused tone.

Axel nodded. "He fights like a Keyblade Master, plots like a strategist, has a witty comeback ready at all times, not to mention his frighteningly accurate hunch."

Saïx smirked. "Sounds like the boy has won your approval."

Axel returned the blue-haired man's smirk with one of his own. "More like intrigued his way into my notice."

* * *

The following day, Roxas woke up with the same state of mind as the previous day: miserable and spiritless. After dragging himself out of bed, he headed for the Grey Area. Once there, he looked around searching for Axel; unfortunately, the redhead was nowhere in sight. Not having a choice, the blond walked to one of the couches on the left and sat down.

"Hey! Why don't you come sit here with us?" The man with a goatee asked from where he sat on a couch on the other side of the room.

Roxas cringed; he had deliberately chosen to sit on the left side to avoid the Nobodies who were sitting on the right.

"Leave him alone, Luxord, the kid obviously chose to sit there for a reason," the guy with eyepatch scolded.

Roxas raised an eyebrow. _Wow, the elflike pirate can actually take a hint. I'm impressed._

The platinum-blond man laughed. "But I wanted to challenge him to a card game."

An exasperated sigh. "You challenge _everyone_ to card games _all_ the time, Luxord."

A nonchalant shrug. "So? He's new."

Out of the corner of his eye, Roxas noticed a glimpse of red. Turning his head to have a better look, he saw Axel coming toward him. With a small, unnoticeable, relieved smile, the blond stood and started walking to meet the advancing man halfway. It was the second time since coming here that Axel, unbeknownst to him, had saved the blond from the other Nobodies.

Roxas was a little curious to know what today's mission was going to be; he only hoped it wouldn't be as annoying and life-draining as the second part of the previous day's mission. But then again, what were the odds of that happening?

"Get ready, Spadille, we're going on another errands mission today," the tall man announced.

Roxas almost cried.

* * *

Sora woke up with the same state of mind as the previous day: lonely and cheerless. After dragging himself out of bed, he headed for the assembly area; he had an errands mission later today and was going to officially meet his bodyguard, who was supposed to accompany him.

On his way there, Sora met Leon; the Right-hand man was responsible for relaying details to those who were going on missions.

"Good morning," the older brunet greeted coolly.

"Good morning, Leon," Sora greeted back dully.

The tall brunet didn't miss the frown on Sora's face. However, he figured the cause was obvious; this was the first time that the two brothers had been separated for more than a day.

When Leon had first heard the Director's plan, he had been extremely opposed to it. Not only was Roxas's trial mission very dangerous and difficult, but he also had to stay at Organization XIII for an unknown period of time. Had the Director forgotten about the Keyblade Massacre seven years ago? Sending Roxas among the ones responsible for his brother and his misfortune was plain cruel. But despite Leon's protests, the stubborn Director had acted his own way like he always did; he never was one to care about a Keyblader's safety and only considered them as useful tools in fighting demons.

Another point that aroused Leon's curiosity was this alliance. As far as he knew, Order VII was in no need for any help, especially one from Organization XIII. This made no sense. And the worst part was that Roxas was stuck in-between.

"Sora, did you hear from Roxas?" the tall brunet asked in his usual calm tone.

The small boy nodded. "Yeah, he called me yesterday."

"And how's he doing?"

Sora opened his mouth to answer then paused. He had completely forgotten to ask his brother this; he was so engrossed in his own situation that this had completely slipped his mind. A combination of guilt and shame overcame him. _How selfish of me._

* * *

Making their way toward the entrance of The Castle That Never Was, Axel proceeded with explaining the mission's plans. "Our destination this time is Traverse Town, so we need to take your ride. Unlike Twilight Town, which is in the middle of the Realm Between, Traverse Town is close to the Realm of Light, so a Dark Corridor can only take us so far," he finished with a hint of annoyance.

Roxas nodded in understanding; he had never been to Traverse Town and was a little curious to visit the new town.

When they exited the castle, the Proxima was parked exactly where Roxas had left it when he had first arrived. Taking out his keys and unlocking the vehicle, he was happy to get inside his beloved Car-Bike. With Axel in the passenger seat, he drove into the Dark Corridor that the redhead had created.

The road to Traverse Town was mostly deserted and the scenery was rather glum. Since their destination was almost at the other end of the realm, the trip would have been a lot longer if it weren't for the corridor they had used. Roxas had always been curious about the Dark Corridors. As far as he knew, this means of transportation was exclusive to the former inhabitants of the Realm of Darkness. Apparently, it was the result of experiments done by the realm's Necromancers, who were the only ones able to use it. The fact that Nobodies were also able to use this technique was a mystery to Roxas.

"Are all Nobodies able to create Dark Corridors?" the blond voiced his thoughts all of a sudden, without taking his eyes off the road.

Axel stared at the back of the blond's head, surprised the kid had taken the initiative to start a conversation with him. Did this mean he was starting to warm up to him? "Nope, only a chosen few have this ability."

"And what makes those 'chosen' ones special?" Roxas's tone wasn't eagerly curious, just mildly interested.

The redhead shrugged. "There's no known answer to your question. There's a spell that Necromancers have created which, when cast on a Nobody, grants them the ability to use the corridors. However, not all Nobodies respond to this spell, and the odds of it succeeding are rather slim."

"And you're one of those 'chosen few,' huh?"

Axel smiled conceitedly. "Impressed?"

Roxas shook his head. "Not really, that's simply the luck of the draw."

The redhead folded his arms. "You're starting to talk like Luxord."

The small blond tilted his head with confusion written on his face.

Sensing the boy's puzzlement, Axel sighed in exasperation. "The gambler?"

Blue eyes lit up with comprehension. "Ah… him."

Another sigh escaped Axel's lips. "Seriously, Spadille, you need to learn their names."

"No thanks," Roxas replied sharply, "I'm already wasting enough brain cells remembering yours."

The redhead frowned. _So much for him starting to warm up to me._

Looking ahead, Roxas was able to make out a town in the distance. For some reason, the sky seemed to get darker the closer they got to their destination; it was as if night was falling rapidly and the stars were starting to appear in the distance. When they reached the town, Roxas stopped the engine and stepped out of the vehicle, slowly taking in his surroundings. Despite the darkness shrouding it, the town was lit up by all kinds of radiance: street lamps, shop signs, house lights… The sight was really beautiful, and just like Twilight Town, Traverse Town had its own charm.

"So… what are we here for?" Roxas inquired after they left the Car-Bike and started walking through the streets of Traverse Town.

Axel shrugged. "Nothing much, just a few items for the Necromancers and some materials for repairing weapons and such," he answered briefly, browsing through the various shops windows while moving along.

Roxas stopped abruptly with a half-frown half-glare on his face. "Then why the hell did I have to come if there are no demons to fight?"

Seeing as his companion was falling behind, Axel also stopped and turned around to face the fuming boy. "Simply 'cause the Superior placed you under my watch, so, wherever I go, you go. Got it memorized?" he finished, tapping an index finger to his temple.

"I don't need a _babysitter_," Roxas hissed.

"Sure you do—although I prefer the term Guardian," Axel interjected his opinion before continuing. "We can't leave you to wander on your own in the castle; the Superior doesn't trust the Order completely, and you could be a spy for all we know."

No matter how much Roxas hated it, the explanation made sense. It was probably either this or being locked somewhere in the castle. And the latter wasn't an option he was keen on. Shoving his hands in his pockets, the defeated blond resigned himself to his unavoidable doom.

The 'Soul-deadening Ordeal,' as Roxas had dubbed it, started with a visit to almost every shop there was. And there were a _lot_ of them. Observing the shopping pair, a pattern could easily be identified: every time, they would walk into a store, Axel would have a talk with the owner about something his blond companion had no mental capacity to care about, said blond companion would silently lament his cursed fate until they left, and so on. A glorious cycle indeed.

While browsing through the streets of the second district, Roxas found himself standing in front of a shop dealing with suits and dresses. One item in particular had caught his attention and he had stopped in his feet-dragging track to take a better look at it. He kept appraising the item, debating whether to get it or not. Making up his mind, he stepped inside and headed toward the shop owner.

"Good evening, sir, how can I help you?" a weird man with a top hat asked politely.

"I'd like to buy the crown chain in display," Roxas answered.

"Ah… you have good taste. That accessory is very unique," the man commented, rubbing his hands in anticipation.

Roxas put a hand on his hip and tilted his head, releasing an exasperated sigh. "Are you paving the way for an ungodly price?"

The owner laughed. "My, what a direct person! Don't worry, I have no such intention, and since I like you, I'll even give you a discount."

Blue eyes narrowed in suspicion; this guy was crazy.

Leaving his position behind the counter, the man headed to the window and came back with the item in his hand.

"How much?" Roxas inquired warily.

"That would be 50 munny," the man responded, laying the chain on the counter.

Roxas reached into his pocket and took out a black and white checkered wallet. He handed the owner his munny and stared at the item as if he was pondering something. "Can you wrap it in gift paper?" he requested.

Axel felt an amused smirk creep into his face. _Ooh, so he's buying a gift? I wonder for whom._

"Right away, sir." With a polite smile, the shop owner started the task while the pair waited patiently.

When the man was done, he handed the nicely-wrapped item to Roxas, who thanked him before exiting and resuming the toilsome mission. After a few steps, Axel could no longer hold his curiosity in.

"Hey, Spadille—"

"Don't bother asking, I'm not answering." Roxas kept walking, not sparing the man a glance.

Keeping up with the blond, Axel frowned. "How do you know what I was gonna ask?"

Blue eyes were rolled. "Come on, it's obvious. You're _dying_ to know for whom the gift is."

The redhead raised his hands in a surrendering gesture and smiled slyly. "Guilty as charged." He let a few moments of silence linger before glancing at the blond and speaking again. "Sooo, are you gonna tell—"

"No."

* * *

When he was back in his room after miraculously surviving the Soul-deadening Ordeal, Roxas was eager to call Sora. Putting the watch-phone to his ear, he waited for it to ring but to no avail. With a small frown, he dialed the number again and waited. But the ringing never came. After the seventh try, Roxas finally gave up. A little ball of anxiety seemed to tighten in his stomach and he stood by the window, blankly staring outside. What could have possibly prevented Sora from answering? Was he in any danger? How can that be, he had a bodyguard? Maybe the bodyguard himself was the issue?

The questions kept flying in Roxas's mind, making his head spin.

It had been a few hours since their return when Roxas was startled by a sudden knock on the door of his room. He immediately sat up in his bed and stared at the entrance wordlessly; up until now, he had never received any visits and this fact tied his tongue, making him unable to utter an answer to the person on the other side.

"Spadille, are you sleeping?" came the question from the easily-recognizable Nobody.

"N-no," the blond stuttered after recovering his ability to speak.

The door opened and—sure enough—the redhead emerged. He took a few steps inside before stopping close to the bed and looking at the bemused boy. "Spadille, I just wanted to let you know that there won't be a mission for you tomorrow," he informed with a small frown creasing his features.

"Really? Why not?" Roxas asked, crossing his legs.

"There's a mission that I need to go on alone." Axel's tone held a tint of… aggravation?

"And what happened to the 'Wherever I go, you go' rule?" the blond mocked.

"This is an emergency and Saïx said that the doors off-limits will be temporarily sealed."

Roxas nodded in understanding. "And where will you be going?"

Axel wagged a finger at the blond. "I'm not allowed to divulge this piece of information."

Roxas successfully hid his pout; he hated being kept in the dark.

"Be good while I'm away," Axel instructed in a playful manner.

"Only if you promise to bring me a souvenir," Roxas responded with a defying smirk.

After the redhead made his exit, Roxas flopped back on the mattress with his arms spread on each side and stared into space.

A day without Axel…

It was something to look forward to.

* * *

The following day didn't come fast enough for Roxas's liking. But when it did, he didn't expect to feel so… _bored_. His only consolation was the promised peace of mind a day without Axel brought along. After stepping out of his room, he started wandering around the castle.

"Hey, kiddo!" a voice called a few feet behind the blond.

Roxas cringed at the demeaning nickname and turned around to the dreadful sight of the Nobody with eyepatch approaching. So much for him enjoying his day of tranquility.

"You're on your own today? Where's Axel?" the man started, standing in front of the blond.

"Mission."

The one-eyed man raised an eyebrow. "And he didn't take you along?"

"Obviously."

"How come?"

"Dunno."

The older man shook his head. "Would it kill you to reply with more than one word?"

"Absolutely."

The one-eyed Nobody smirked, amused; he was starting to see the reason behind the redhead's fascination with this kid. "I see… So Axel was sent on a mission without dragging you along. Aren't you bored?"

Roxas shrugged. "If anything, I'm grateful to spend a day free from his obnoxious attitude."

The Nobody laughed. "You shouldn't let Axel's façade fool you. Even though he has a very sarcastic attitude and a laid-back, go-with-the-flow outlook on many things and may come off as fooling around, he's actually a calculating person who has no attachment to anything whatsoever and doesn't care about _anyone_."

Roxas scoffed. "Tell me something I don't know. Aren't all Nobodies the same?" he spat.

The long-haired Nobody shook his head. "Easy there, Tiger. It's true that we, Nobodies, are a lot different from humans, but we're not monsters either. We, too, have things and people we care about. Despite our lack of emotions, we're not completely heartless."

"And how's that possible?" Roxas inquired skeptically.

"Well, you see, there are many things that humans don't know about Nobodies," the taller man started. "There are two types of Nobodies: Remnant and Pureblood. The first type refers to Nobodies who were once humans—such as myself—whether their parents are humans or not. Having been human once, we got to experience what having emotions felt like, and since we retain our memories of those times, we can still cling to a thread of our lost humanity.

"On the other hand, the second type of Nobodies regroups those who were born as such. When two Nobodies have a child, there are two possibilities: either they give birth to a human who's bound to become a Nobody later on, or they produce a Pureblood Nobody. In the latter case, the newborn doesn't get to live as a human, so they have no clue whatsoever when it comes to emotions; this category of Nobodies is completely devoid of feelings. However, they are not very numerous; only the descendants of the very first Nobody are likely to give birth to a Pureblood Nobody. You can think of them as royalty if you want."

Roxas listened intently to the one-eyed man's lecture; he had always been an avid learner, and finding out more about his sworn enemies might prove useful in the future. "And how do they know for sure which type of Nobodies the newborn belongs to?"

The one-eyed man shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I think it has something to do with birthmarks. Zexion is more knowledgeable about this," he said before waving. "See ya around, Tiger."

And with that, Roxas was once again able to get back to exploring the castle.

After roaming aimlessly for some time, Roxas magically ended up in some sort of library: perfect for spending time in peace. Upon entering, he was faced with numerous shelves filled to the brim with literature on various subjects. Browsing through one of the shelves, a book entitled 'Nobodies History' caught his eye. Reaching out for the manuscript, he was startled.

"I don't think you're allowed in here," a calm voice drifted from a direction the blond tried to pinpoint.

Looking to the side, behind one of the bookcases, Roxas could clearly see the voice's owner and he almost face-palmed. _Of course the bookworm had to be here; this must be where he __**lives**__._ He narrowed his eyes in defiance. "Then why isn't the door sealed?"

"Because I'm here to keep you out if you came in," the slate-haired Nobody explained evenly. "What brings you here, anyway?"

_Uh… I was lost and found myself here by accident? _"I had some free time and decided to do some reading," Roxas answered, masking the shameful truth.

The slightly taller male seemed to contemplate the blond's answer. "I can't turn down someone who appreciates the value of books," he murmured, deep in thought, before declaring. "I'll let you choose a book to read as long as I approve of it."

Roxas inwardly congratulated himself on his wise—or rather lucky—choice of excuse.

After having his first three choices (Nobodies History, Pureblood Nobodies, and Time Warp) shot down by the blue-eyed Nobody, Roxas was finally allowed to read a book about Keybladers. The manuscript explained that a Keyblade Wielder could use either a Keyblade of Darkness or a Keyblade of Light, depending on that person's Affinity with either element. The Affinity was usually determined by birth and didn't follow a specific genetic rule. Nevertheless, during a Keyblade Wielder's life, this Affinity could be altered if, for example, their heart was corrupted by Darkness or, on the contrary, their corrupted heart was saved.

The book further clarified that despite its name, a Keyblade of Darkness was not necessarily an evil Keyblade. However, it could become so if the heart of its wielder was corrupted by Darkness, yet this also applied to a Keyblade of Light. When a corrupted heart regained its purity, the Keyblade was restored to its origin and so was the Affinity.

Roxas found the book very informative as there were some information he didn't know despite being a Keybearer. Reading had proved to be a good distraction and when he felt the need to stretch his legs, he decided that he had done enough reading and left the library after returning the book to its shelf under the intimidating stare of the library's 'inhabitant.'

Heading toward his room, Roxas spent a good few minutes astray before finding himself in a familiar hallway. This day had been a good one in his estimation, especially since he didn't have to put up with Axel's irritating—

"Yo, Spadille!"

Hearing the annoying nickname, Roxas groaned; to his chagrin, he knew the voice's owner and didn't need to turn around to ascertain his identity.

"Did you miss me?" Axel asked as he stood in front of the blond who had turned to face him.

Roxas looked the taller man in the eye and answered unhesitatingly. "Not in the least."

The redhead put a hand on his hip. "Aw, come on, Spadille, I'm sure you don't mean it."

"I'm sure I do."

Axel sighed in mock-disappointment. "And here I thought a short separation would strengthen our bond."

"You thought wrong."

A sly smile played upon the redhead's lips. "I see you're still the same as ever."

Roxas shrugged. "People don't change overnight."

Axel shook his head with a disbelieving smile before reaching into his coat pocket. "By the way," he took out a small, fabric gift bag and handed it to the blond.

"What's this?" the shorter boy inquired suspiciously.

"A promise is a promise," was Axel's enigmatic response.

Carefully, Roxas opened the gift bag and emptied its content in his hand. Two plain ring-bands, one black and the other white, were sitting in his palm and he raised questioning eyes to the redhead.

Axel grinned. "A souvenir like promised," he clarified. "You seem to have a thing for black and white—like your watch and your wallet—so there you have it," he finished with a nonchalant shrug.

Roxas raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "You _do_ know I was joking, right?"

Axel nodded.

"And you still took it seriously?" the blond asked incredulously.

Axel nodded again.

Blue eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And to what do I owe this… humoring, if I dare ask?"

Axel shrugged indifferently. "When I saw them in display I figured you might like them and thought 'why not?' so I bought them on a whim."

Roxas studied the redhead's face with eyes still filled with distrust. "If you say so."

A red eyebrow arched in slight surprise. "Does this mean you accept the gift? I thought you'd throw it in my face for sure."

Roxas smirked. "This only further proves how much you don't know me. I never turn down a gift; it's rude."

Axel's lips curled into a very sly smile. "I don't suppose you'll wear them."

"Hell no," came the immediate response.

Axel laughed. "Yeah, I figured that much."

Turning his attention to his hands, Roxas returned the rings to the gift bag and hid it in his pocket.

"Anyway," the redhead started, "I need to go report to Saïx. I'll see you tomorrow, Spadille." He waved before walking away.

Without lingering, Roxas went back to his room and tried calling Sora yet again. This time, he was relieved to hear the reassuring ringing and, sure enough, the person on the other line picked up. "Sora," he said eagerly, "I've been trying to call you since yesterday to no avail. What happened? Are you okay?"

But there was no answer.

"Sora?" Roxas called tentatively.

**"Yo, Roxas, kid,"** a gruff voice rang loudly.

There was a moment of silence before the blond spoke uncertainly, "… Cid?"

A hearty laugh sounded from the other end. **"I'm glad you recognized my voice. But then again, you've always been a sharp kid."**

Roxas removed the phone from his ear, stared at the number he had called, then put the device back to his ear. "Ehhh… isn't this Sora's number?"

**"Ahhh… yeah… well… you see…"**

For some reason, Cid's hesitation set alarm bells ringing in Roxas's head. "Cid, is Sora all right?" he asked, panic rising within his core.

A short silence lingered, which, to Roxas, felt like an eternity. He was about to say something when the older man beat him to it. **"Don't worry, kid, your brother's fine; he just broke his phone and I'm working on repairing it."**

Roxas breathed in relief. "I see."

**"… Lil' Sora was right,"** Cid mused.

"About what?" Roxas frowned slightly.

Cid laughed. **"You **_**do**_** tend to worry a lot."**

The blond pouted slightly. "Try putting yourself in my shoes. I'm stuck in this God-forsaken place and have been trying to get in touch with Sora since yesterday to no avail, and to top it all off, there's a Nobody on the loose in the Order's headquarters," he finished, frustrated.

Cid's hearty laugh sounded once again. **"Yea… I guess you're right,"** he agreed before continuing. **"His phone should be repaired by tomorrow, though; try calling him then."**

Roxas smiled. "Will do. Thanks, Cid."

**"No problem, kid."**

Reattaching his phone, Roxas chuckled. _So he broke his phone, huh?_ _Sora sure is clumsy._

* * *

Another day arrived and Roxas was more than fed up with staying in Organization XIII. Might as well throw him a welcome party as a new member. When would he finally be allowed to leave this hateful place? Was this 'evaluation period' going to stretch on forever? Because that was certainly how it felt to him.

Heading to the Grey Area, Roxas hoped today's mission would be his last here at The Castle That Never Was. Upon entering the room, he was surprised to find it empty. This was unusual; where was everyone? Not that he was complaining, though; avoiding the company of Nobodies had become his new calling in life.

Sitting on a random couch, Roxas reclined his head to rest it on top of the sofa's back and idly stared at the white ceiling. He had been absent for a few days now and was wondering how things were going back at the Order.

The sound of approaching footsteps caused the blond to lift his head and stare at the room's entrance. A familiar figure appeared, waltzing into the room with a victorious smirk.

"I knew I'd find you here," Axel declared proudly.

Roxas lazily reclined his head back. "Yeah, 'cause it takes a genius detective to do so."

"You should get ready; we're heading out," Axel announced as he moved closer to the couch.

Grudgingly, Roxas stood. "All right, where will we be heading today?"

Noticing the blond's low spirits, and guessing exactly what was causing it, a sly smile spread across Axel's face.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Rejoice, Spadille, we're going back to Order VII."

* * *

E.A.N.:

Phew, another chapter finished. This one took a long time to finish because it was a little bit of a filler, but I hope you didn't get bored. Well, in the end, it ended up not being completely a filler, not at all actually.

Just like Roxas, I also have a very good hunch that is frighteningly accurate. Sometimes I expect things to happen before they do and usually I'm so spot on it scares me. Moreover, in this story, Roxas is exactly the type of character I fall for easily in fiction, manga, anime, or video games.

Well, I guess this concludes this chapter so—

Roxas: Finally! I'm getting out of this hellhole.

Me: Now, now, Roxas, you shouldn't interrupt people like—

Roxas: Ugh! I thought I was gonna remain stuck here forever.

Me: Hey! Are you listening to—

Roxas: I can't wait to see Sora.

*Looks at readers* You should review to motivate the whimsical authoress before she changes her mind and decides to make me stay here for another round of hell.

Me: *Sniff* Am I *sniff* invisible?


End file.
